Racism in the Criminal Justice System During the 1960s, the criminal justice system faced serious challenges regarding racism and there was widespread violent rioting across the country. Extremist...

Racism in the Criminal Justice System

During the 1960s, the criminal justice system faced serious challenges regarding racism and there was widespread violent rioting across the country. Extremist groups advocating violence representing both whites and blacks arose. Today some fear that racism is again becoming a serious and potentially violent challenge for the criminal justice system. A 2015 New York Times/CBS News poll reported that 68% of respondents said race relations were generally bad. About three-fourths of blacks said they thought that the criminal justice system was biased against African–Americans and that the police were more likely to use deadly force against a black person than a white person.¹⁵
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that many minorities distrust law enforcement officials and the relationship of blacks with the police is characterized by fear and anger.16 In response to this feeling of racism in the criminal justice system, a group called Black Lives Matter has emerged. At some demonstrations, members of Black Lives Matter have called for violence against police officers.¹⁷
How serious is the problem of racism in the criminal justice system and what can be done to eliminate it?