interpretation of the statement of Guenther

The Assertion Regarding the Criminal Justice System

The assertion made by Guenther (1976) that the criminal justice system was “biased, harsh, and unfair” is interpreted in this paper. Additionally, the paper focuses in particular on stereotypes and perception, the politicization of crime, and the connection between political, economic, and social seclusion.

The Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system is a collection of practices and institutions put up by governments to manage crime and punish offenders. The system operates in accordance with the active jurisdictional region. It might be the state, county, city, or tribal authority. Various jurisdictions manage the criminal justice system using various organizations, laws, and procedures. Those who are suspect of crime have some safeguards against abuse of prosecution and investigatory powers. However, the criminal justice system does not sometimes operate in the manner it is supposed to due to various reasons. The system is observed to be broken where people of color, specifically Latinos, and African Americans are targeted unfairly by the police and are subjected to harsher prison charges than their counterparts who are white.

Perception and Stereotype in the Criminal Justice System

According to Guenther’s declaration on perception and stereotype, some people are termed to be an underclass. Perception and stereotype are dependent on an individual opinion over someone or something. In this scenario, the unmarried women and black people were socially isolated, and at times they were denied equal rights as the whites. During those days it was inspiring for the black people to move and settle in places where they were not arbitrated based on their race. Therefore, justice was misguided since the criminal justice system had an unfair believe that things or people with a specific characteristic are the same. According to the theory of racial, ethnic groups are suppressed and have different conditions in the cities they live in and benefits sets according to their groupings. People of color have little benefits due to their racial groupings. The description of the criminal justice system as being fair has been observed to be a myth since history has it with various situations and measures taken by the system which did not represent it as being just. However, as time elapses, the law enforcement system has been caught with more judges and restrictions, and thus criminals are given no luxury but rather a harsh sentence.

Goal of the Criminal Justice System

One goal of the criminal justice system is to practice justice. The aspect involves holding those who are responsible for the harms they cause. Every criminal must be punished for their wrongdoings to achieve justice. The research proposes that some efforts which involve increased imprisonment, mandatory sentences, longer average verdicts, and more executions have over the years eroded procedures which make the criminal justice in America fairer. However, it is ironic since the main aim of having the punitive changes in the system was to reduce the judicial discretion. The judges were to be denied the pleasure of discriminating against certain offenders, and this was to be performed by imposing similar sentences for similar crimes. Therefore, the main aim of this practice was to bring about fairness and equity in the system. The penalties only applied to certain offenders, and thus the goal of creating equity by decreasing discretion has was not attained.

Politicization of Crime

The politicization of crime occurs in groups of conservatives and liberals. Conservatives describe the crime as a result of personal choices and wantonness of their background while liberals describe crimes to be caused by one’s origin. The government gives the inner cities welfare money every time, and these funds do not bring any kind to these people instead it increases problems and crimes. The finances do not in any way create motivation, jobs, or self-worth to the people. As an alternative, they sit and do nothing since they are given money even without working for it, and when they get the free money, most use it for drugs. The practice has not facilitated development in the communities since they depend on the government fully. The black community is looked at the slavery they originate from and receive special treatments. A good example is funding for college, students who perform are given financial aid by the government to cater for their expenses since the government views education as a right of every child. The practice does not apply to white students who may show exemplary work in their studies. The government may have wasted money with the intentions of helping those in the inner-cities. The finances given to these individuals are at times misused, and in other occasions it promotes crimes. The people in the inner-cities should not be given money to support families who need everyday spending rather; they should find jobs to provide for their expenses. The practice would provide them with the self-worth they require at the end.

The Relationship Between Economic, Political, and Social Isolation

The relationship between economic, political, and social isolation revolves among the inner cities. Economic isolation involves comprehensive programs such as welfare and social securities. As described above that the inner cities get finances, but their financial status remains stagnant with increased crime rates and high levels of unemployment. The situation has been observed since no one can remove them in their state of overdependency on the government to provide them with finances. Political isolation, on the other hand, involves selfishness and biased media. The government’s aim is to keep the public pleased. Therefore, if the people in inner cities need money, they will give them even though they do not solve their problems. The social isolation is also observed when the society leaves social groups with negative implications and biased statements, particularly in the media. The sentiments make them appear crazy, stalked like shadows, and are reduced to strings of labels without the consideration of being educated or not. Discriminative terms are used to refer to them such as an angry black woman or manless black woman and others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the statement of Guenther about the criminal justice system being ’unfair, harsh, and biased’ is not applicable in the current system since it has evolved. The stereotype is currently a thing of the past, and people should help each other regardless of their race and origin. The society should also support the criminal justice system so that peace may prevail among individuals. Besides, the nation should place emphasize on treating persons with equality to eliminate attitudes of being biased and unfair to people of color. However, the people of inner cities should be motivated to work for their needs through pushing and putting more time to help them understand the need for change. Also, programs to improve values and self-esteem for those who are less fortunate like the single parents should be put in place by the government. Finally, laws should be viewed as guidelines for a way of life and also as a tool to maintain justice in the society. The judgment of individuals should not be based on their skin color but aims of their actions.