Black people appear disproportionately likely to be arrested and Essay

Black people appear disproportionately likely to be arrested and convicted of offences. Why is this so - Essay Example A. 2005). Recent methodologically sophisticated studies that investigated the relationship between race/ethnicity and sentence severity discovered that â€Å"race and ethnicity do play an important role in contemporary sentencing decisions. Black and Hispanic offenders—and particularly those who are young, male, or unemployed—are more likely than their white counterparts to be sentenced to prison; in some jurisdictions, they also receive longer sentences†¦than do similarly situated white offenders.† (Spohn, C. 2000). Research confirms that blacks are more likely to be stopped in traffic by the police, and black women are nine times more likely to be x-ray Institutional racism ed or subjected to intrusive searches by customs officers in airports. (Norris, C., Fielding, N., Kemp, C., & Fielding, J. 1992). Institutional racism can be defined as "the collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture or ethnic origin". (Stokely Carmichael) Figures for 2005 released by the home office indicate that members of black and minority ethnic  (BME)  groups were more likely  to be arrested, or stopped and searched, than  white people At a general level, all Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups have a higher account as users of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) when compared to their account as members of the population as a whole. This is especially true for black suspects and offenders. Black people experience a greater chance of being stopped and searched Modern day racism can take many forms, including racial profiling. Racial Profiling is â€Å"any police or private security practice in which a person is treated as a suspect because of his or her race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion.† As per the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984) stops can only