Disparity and Discrimination

Disparity and Discrimination

To compare and contrast the terms disparity and discrimination as they relate to the criminal justice system, one must first have a working knowledge of the definitions of each term. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines the word disparity as: 1) the inequality or difference in age, rank, condition, or excellence; dissimilitude; as disparity in, or of, years; or a disparity as to color, or 2) the lack of similarity or equality; difference (Merriam-Webster, 2011). The word discrimination, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is: 1) favoritism, unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice, or, 2) the cognitive process whereby two or more stimuli are distinguished. With the terms disparity and discrimination defined, one can move on to the business of comparing the terms as each relates to the criminal justice system.

In this modern society, safety is a priority. This statement is true for most people. Parents desire their children to be raised in a stable, safe, comfortable environment. These parents will follow the necessary steps to ensure the good health, success, and stability of each child. Parents desire these children to be active and involved in getting a good education; the assurance that their eventual movement into the job market will solidify each child with a good prosperous future. Unfortunately, this is more of a fairytale than a reality for some families.

Attempting to create this fairytale life for themselves and their children, many people have found impassable road blocks. These road blocks come in the many forms, such as the growing conflicts among members of society, together with disparities that exist within the different ethnic groups and socio-economic statuses in the United States of America. This disparity in society has been further complicated by the growing number of immigrants and minorities coming to reside in the United States of America (Norris & Nissenson, 2008).

When discrimination raises its ugly head, it becomes an act of singling out a certain individual or group for unfair treatment (Cole, 2000). The criminal justice system is plagued by disparity and discrimination due to the disproportion amount of racial and ethnic groups within the control of the system opposed to the proportion of such groups in the general (Williams, 2001). Disparity in not necessarily synonymous with discrimination, but does deal with age and race comparisons within the general population (Merriam-Webster, 2011).

In the criminal justice system, disparity is explained by legitimate factors, such as the seriousness of the offense and an offender's prior criminal record. Other factors, which fall more closely under the discrimination umbrella, include race, ethnicity, gender, social class, and lifestyle (Norris & Nissenson, 2008). One can acknowledge an example of a disparity in the sentencing guidelines of the criminal justice system (Mustard, 2001). The Sentencing Guidelines and Policy Statements of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 created many disparities, and these guidelines applied to all federal offenses committed after November 1, 1987 (Mustard, 2001). There is a common belief that the disparity between African Americans and Caucasian Americans increased after the establishment