NCJ Number
69574
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: (Fall 1979) Pages: 27-40
Date Published
1979
Length
14 pages
Annotation
An interview with a U.S. Military Court of Appeals judge addresses the issues that surround crimes committed by minorities and the ways criminal justice agencies handle minorities.
Abstract
Crime is a major factor within minority communities, especially because the economic plight of minorities is worse than that of the majority portion of American society, even though there is evidence in such large cities as Washington, D.C., and Detroit, Mich., that crime is decreasing. Meanwhile, crime is a byproduct of unemployment, with the poor and jobless seeking alternative methods for obtaining their needs through crime. Members of the society in which such trends occur are then victimized by burglary, bodily harm, and the widespread use of narcotics. The psychological and social impact of such crime is as damaging as the economic impact. One cause of crime that can be also tied to unemployment is racial discrimination, which persists into the late 1970's. Discrimination in employment continues pervasively. It is reduction of discrimination and unemployment that will work to reduce and control crime, rather than the concerted and albeit worthwhile efforts of the criminal justice system (police, courts, corrections). In the public policy area, too, efforts must be made to provide a better standard of living for the American people. Federal agencies must not only ensure that criminal activity is dealt with under the law but also, look to overall betterment of peoples living in disadvantaged communities. The police can serve to uplift standards through such organizations as the Boy's Club, even though their time is already filled with law enforcement efforts. Another step that must be taken to gain the respect of minority communities for the law is that of electing and placing more minorities into the administration of justice so that the judiciary is no longer an exclusively white enclave. Finally, minorities must take their own people in hand and strive for crime prevention from within.