We can’t deny that the criminal justice system is flawed. Race and gender have always played a role in society and determined where you fall and stand. But that also applies to the justice system and evaluates individuals not by their crime, but what color they are and the gender they identify as. Even though there are some positive points in the justice system, like keeping our communities safe from violence, it’s mostly unfair and unjust. Many people have also agreed that the justice system is unfair and has been a very trendy topic going around the internet. Hence why many have created posts, videos and books about why the justice system is flawed.

A huge role that makes the justice system flawed is race. Race has played a huge part in history throughout the years, and because of this “racism” became more bold in society. A book, written by Delores D. Jones-Brown Race Crime and Punishment, they state that “But blacks are much more likely than whites to be singled out for police attention, and in various instances-including another famous case in Los Angeles, the 1991 beating of an unarmed black motorist by three white police- an element of racism[...]”. [1]. Since decades ago, there has been a silent separation between whites and blacks, this caused, as quoted, racial inequality that always leads to blacks being jailed up or beaten up by whites. Because of old white men controlling the justice system, blacks are afraid of going out in public because of the constant fear of being arrested or beaten without case.

Another leading reason why the criminal justice system is gender inequality. In an article written by Delphine Lourtau and Sharon Pia Hickey stated “Women who are sentenced to death are also subjected to multiple forms of gender bias, with women who are seen as violating entrenched norms of gender behaviour more likely to receive the death penalty”. [2]. This quote clearly shows the gender norm problems that we still face with today and it’s very wrong to do  so. Women should have equal rights just like men, since all women and men are human and deserve their own respect. We shouldn’t continue to be bias against them just because of old gender roles made long ago.

But although race and gender does play a huge part, some aspects of the justice system is slowly improving. An article written by Kathleen Coogan, stated that “Worldwide, women account for an average of only 9 percent of police and 27 percent of judges. In the United States, local police agencies average about 12 percent women, and state courts average about 33 percent”. [3]. This seems like a huge improvement in women empowerment and while it is, it still shows a high ratio gap between male and female. Women being in courts can serve a voice for all women but because of the ratio gap, male can easily overpower and turn around a statement. This means we should allow more women in court to speak for these racial and gender inequalities.

We can conclude that the justice system has a lot of wires missing. This controversial topic is as recent today as it was years ago, and continues to be an issue. With womens voice and racial equality, we as humans can become at peace with each other and slowly grow more hand in hand. If women are given more rights and other races be respected more, we would be able to lower the amount of crime that happens in our world. The justice system is very distorted, but with some changes made by the court, we would be able to prevent social issues still going on in our modern era.

Works Cited:

[1]- Jones-Brown, Delores D. Race, Crime, and Punishment. Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.

[2]-Lourtau, Delphine, and Sharon Pia Hickey. “Judged for More Than Her Crime: A Global Study of Women Facing the Death Penalty.” Penal Reform International, Penal Reform, 10 Oct. 2018.

[3]-Coogan, Kathleen. “#WomenLeadingSecurity: Highlighting the Role of Women in Security and Justice.” #WomenLeadingSecurity: Highlighting the Role of Women in Security and Justice, U.S. Department of State, 28 Mar. 2019.