NCJ Number
184303
Date Published
November 1999
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This research presents survey data on African-American perceptions of the police and the legal system, so as to make inferences about the desire for differential and discretionary legal enforcement in urban communities.
Abstract
The analysis is based primarily on survey responses from the 1993-94 National Black Politics Study (NBPS). The sample of the NBPS was obtained from a probability sample of all black households in the United States; two subsamples of equal size were created in order to ensure representation of the general population. Telephone interviews of approximately 45 minutes were completed with 1,206 respondents. Data analysis shows that a majority of African-Americans believe that the American legal system treats blacks unfairly; however, compared to their wealthier counterparts, poor blacks are more likely to view the American legal system as fair. This "endorsement" of the American legal system by poor blacks does not necessarily imply a desire for harsher criminal enforcement in their communities; it does, however, lend some support to the argument, as a desire for tougher penalties is plausibly more consistent with a belief that the legal system is fair as opposed to the view that it is unfair. Data, however, also indicate that poor blacks are more inclined to believe "that the police are too much like just another gang to stop gang violence." In the context of the urban frustration arguments, these findings suggest that aggressive enforcement with limited police discretion may be consistent with high-crime minority communities' desire for safety and fairness. 13 tables and 68 references