It will contribute to the existing body of evidence by filling in these important gaps.
Definitions
Valid research is based on consistency and a mutual understanding of the research parameters. Although, many of the terms used in this study will be familiar to the layperson, it is important to understand exactly what is meant so that precise understanding of the variables in the study can be understood. The following operational definitions will be used throughout this research project.
African-American - This term will refer to any person of African-American decent. It will be used to describe those that are of a high percentage of African-American ancestry, as well as those of low percentage or mixed ancestry, but who identify themselves as primarily culturally African.
A drug possession -This includes any misdemeanor crime that is associated with the possession of a controlled substance including marijuana, cocaine, heroine, or the misuse of prescription narcotics such as oxycontin. It does not include crimes such as trafficking or possession of amounts that warrant that the crime be considered a felony. It will not include cases where the charges were negotiated down from the felony to a misdemeanor.
Caucasian - This refers to anyone of European, Canadian, or U.S. decent. It does not include those of Hispanic, Native American, or Asian Decent.
A criminal mischief - This refers to any crime labeled as criminal mischief. This category encompasses a large array of activities and is determined by the arresting officer and the court system.
A disorderly conduct - This term refers to anyone charged of a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, regardless of the circumstances that led to their arrest.
A domestic violence - Domestic violence refers to conviction of a misdemeanor of domestic violence. These cases are of particular interest, as they may involve mitigating circumstances of self-defense.
A harassment - This term will not include alleged harassment that did not lead to a conviction by the court system. Only cases where a conviction for harassment was attained will be included in this study.
Menacing - Only cases where a conviction for menacing is attained will be considered in this research study. Those for which allegations did not stand will not be included in the study.
Sentence - Sentence refers to the punishment awarded by the judge upon prior to any appeals. It does not reflect whether or not the sentence was actually served by the defendant, it reflects the initial sentence awarded by the judge. This also does not include any reductions in sentence, only the initial punishment awarded.
A theft - Theft includes any crime that involves the taking of another's property. For the purposes of this study, only crimes considered a misdemeanor will be considered. Only crimes for which the defendant was convicted will be considered. Those cases of theft involving dollar amounts or property high enough to be considered felonies will not be included in this study.
A trespass - Trespass means entering another's property without permission, it also means refusing to leave when that person asks that one do so. As with the other crime categories, only cases that were successfully prosecuted and sentenced will be included.
Methodology
There are several methods that could be used to conduct this study. The first method, and one commonly found in the literature consists of a records search. However, there are many factors that this records search may not reveal, that are relevant to the study. For instance, one will not find racial information on many of the parties present, including the judge. This information is considered vital to achieving the purpose of the intended study.
There are many ethical considerations regarding this type of subject matter. The study involves confidential information and many factors that would be considered of sensitive nature. Therefore, the only ethical way to obtain the needed information will be to obtain if from the individual, with their permission. The participant will be in control of any personal information obtained.
Many studies that address racial bias among male offenders used records search as their primary research tool. However, there are many underlying factors that this type of method may miss, but that is relevant to the intended research study. For instance, one may not know the race of the prosecutor or defender in the case, or the race of the "victim." These factors are important, but would not be revealed in a records search.
Participants
Participants for this study will consist of 200 women, identified through court record searches that have been convicted of one of the listed crimes. Women...
Sam Stone! And guess what he did this time? He asked to borrow my Barbie and when he was carrying her down the stairs, he accidentally tripped and fell and broke her arm" (570)) Following Sam's actual visit, an interview conducted in an informal style by eliciting a free narrative form each of the four different groups who had seen Sam Stone revealed that the stereotype- fed group resulted
Racial Discrimination in the Context Of the Death Penalty There is much controversy with regard to topics like racial discrimination and the death penalty in the contemporary society. When these two come together the matter is even more controversial, taking into account that opponents to both concepts can come together with the purpose of expressing their issues with the idea of racial discrimination cases in relationship with individuals sentenced to death.
Bias in Curricula Native American Bias in K-12 Literature There are many artifacts used in curricula that illustrate a racial bias towards marginalized groups. American Indians are one such group adversely affected by stereotypical and offensive portrayals in educational material and literature. Native Americans are typically not even mentioned in American history textbooks past 6th grade curriculum. When they are referenced, it is often in terms of Pilgrims and Thanksgiving. Other times
Racial Discrimination and the Death Penalty The United States Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that at the end of the year 2000 that there was 1,381,892 total number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of federal or state adult correctional authorities (State pp). During 2000, the prison population rose at the lowest rate since 1972 and had the smallest absolute increase since 1980 (State pp). Relative to the number
A judge's discretion can mean the difference between a young African-American person going to jail and having his or her life irreparably damaged or being placed in a program that might have a chance to save a human being. While judges cannot be caseworkers, they can look at the circumstances of a young offender's life to make rational and reasoned evaluations of someone's risk to society. This can be demonstrated
Problem Statement It is no lie that people of color are more severely punished for violating the law than white Americans. This can be traced back through history. This discrimination on the law is based on historical injustices that gave harsh sentences to people of color and lighter sentences for white Americans. considering that slavery was abolished many years ago, this justice system discrimination has continued to prevail until today. People
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now