Criminal Justice System Research Paper

I had a hard time just discussing one specific topic. The criminal justice system is a broad topic to cover. I decided that I would write a paper that I could relate too and answer questions about. As a college student we are taught to ask questions and seek answers. My paper is going to show my journey of trying to understand and explain the problems we have in the jail / prison systems for juveniles, women, and men. I’m also going to explain how these systems affect the family and the community by having our loved ones locked away.
Like many people living in rural or urban neighborhoods it was common to have our family members go to and from jails throughout they’re teenage and young adult years. It was common for them to go away and come …show more content…
In an article posted by CNN “America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 5% of the world's population and 25% of its prisoners. Nearly 2½ million Americans are in prison. Over 65 million people, or 20% of the country, have criminal records. Most disturbingly, nearly 40% of our country's prisoners are African-Americans, who only make up 13% of the general population”. With numbers like this how are we supposed to make a difference in society? People are being held in jail for petty crimes most of which aren’t ever felonies. Some of the crimes that were committed were petty at best. In the same CNN article the author wrote “Politicians should consider reducing nonviolent offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, and end mandatory sentencing for nonviolent crimes. The federal government's unsuccessful war on drugs has led to unfair punishments for nonviolent drug offenders who made youthful mistakes.” Not only are these petty crimes, they are having a negative effect on the families of these inmates. Statistics show that incarceration leads to reduced wages (11% drop), employment (nine weeks lost annually), and earnings overall (40% annually). Making matters worse, over half of new prisoners are at or below the poverty line and three-quarters of former prisoners are sent back to jail within five years of their release.” How are they supposed to support themselves and their families with a record and no one to give them a second

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