Discuss the social implications of differential justice and victim discounting. How is the system

Question

of justice compromised by these practices?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Central to the concerns of minorities regarding the criminal justice system is differential justice—that is, Whites are dealt with more leniently than are Blacks, whether at the time of investigation, arrest, indictment, conviction, sentencing, incarceration, or parole. Studies demonstrate that police often deal with African American youths more harshly than with White youngsters. Law is a public social institution and in many ways reproduces the inequality experienced in life.

It has also been accepted, albeit reluctantly, that the government cannot be counted on to address inner-city problems. In crimes involving African Americans, legal system scholars have observed victim discounting, or the tendency to view crime as less socially significant if the victim is viewed as less worthy.

It is most important to remember that crime and victimization cannot be viewed in isolation but must be seen as interconnected with everything from education to employment, the quality of healthcare, to the homes to which one returns at the end of the day. W. E. B. Du Bois noted over a century ago that crime was difficult to address precisely because, "It is a phenomenon that stands not alone, but rather as a symptom of countless wrong social conditions."