Crime
Punishment in the United States of America occurs to be relentless and discriminatory and the USA remains as the only country in the Western democracy that applies capital punishment. The country is however at a critical stage as it tries to rectify its criminal justice guidelines. Several government bodies have always called for judicial reforms as the gap in racial incarceration rates have always been so wide over the years. This paper examines the forces behind racial differences in criminal behavior, wide variance in violent crimes, higher rates of victimization and subsequent recommendations and policies to be implemented as they try to narrow the gap.
Poverty/inequality best describes the wide variance in violent crimes, African Americans are more likely to live in neighborhoods that are disadvantaged and where most individuals are living below the poverty line and hence poverty has made people living below the federal poverty threshold to have a greater rate of violent victimization. Aristotle stated that poverty is the parent of crime.
Crime victimization is defined as the involuntary, personal exposure to criminal practices. The text has given a clear indication that there is higher rates of victimization among minorities (such as African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans). The research demonstrates that the minorities are the most vulnerable to violent victimization because minorities are majorly associated or found in situations that correlate with violence. An appropriate example include being involved with weapons, drugs and alcohol as well as family factors such as single-parent household abuse and neglect which is predominant in the minority group of the population.
The most promising emerging practices for integrating trauma-informed care into existing programs serving young men include the strengthening of health systems to accommodate and provide support for victims of crime as well as those that were wrongly arrested. CITATION Dan15 l 1033 (Sered). Mental health infrastructure should be developed and supported in schools and institutions of higher learning as well as places where the population of the young people is high. Another beneficial strategy is investing in programs that will result in an increase in the access of education and employment by the young African American men which in exchange will help them heal from the trauma and also empower them to be better individuals in the society.
Work Cited.
BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Sered, Danielle. “Young Men of Color and the other Side of Harm: Addressing Disparities in our Response to Violence.” Vera Institute of Justice (2015).
