NCJ Number
171073
Date Published
1997
Length
35 pages
Annotation
Research findings on minorities, crime, and criminal justice in the United States are discussed in terms of two types of studies: (1) those in which the main focus is on race or ethnicity and (2) those with primary emphasis on citizenship or immigrant status.
Abstract
The racial and ethnic classifications used by government agencies determine the types of comparisons that can be made and reinforce racial, ethnic, and national distinctions. The bulk of research on minorities in the United States makes crude black/white comparisons and only occasionally includes Asian American, Native American, and Hispanic/non-Hispanic contrasts. The data indicating the significant overrepresentation of black people in every stage of the criminal justice system underscore the urgency of the problem of race and justice. Hispanics are overrepresented in both police and prison statistics and in victimization. The data also reveal major variations among the diverse Asian American groups and that adult Native American Indians have the highest rate of arrest, conviction, incarceration, and recidivism among all racial and ethnic groups. Studies also reveal increasing numbers of foreign inmates, expanding ethnic organized crime among current minority newcomers, and ethnic and alien gangs. Most mainstream criminological theories have been applied to the apparent racial and ethnic differences in arrest and punishment experiences. Current trends include the increasing proportion of minorities, the strong backlash against immigration and immigrants, and an a hardening penal climate. However, the situation is bound to change as a result of ideological, humane, or pragmatic considerations. The internationalization and globalization of criminality means that an effective crime policy must address both the internal and external political and economic bases of criminality. Notes and 89 references