The social problem or issue I wish to address is mass incarceration of African Americans as it affects the adolescent population. In Mendel study (as cited in Rubinstein, Craven & McCormack, 2014) “African American youth accounts for 16% of the total number of adolescent in the United States and make up nearly 40% of the total youth currently imprison”. Our social justice’s system has been driven by racism in the days of slavery till today as more and more black and brown adolescents are languishing in jail. In addition to this, Arya and Augarten study (as cited in Rubinstein et al, 2014) found that “African American youth are more likely to be sentenced in adult jails compared to their White counterparts.” African American adolescents are …show more content…
Mass incarceration of young blacks have existed from the time of slavery where Blacks were segregated. Blacks have faced racial discrimination, oppression and cruel treatment from slavery to Jim Crow era were persons of color were mistreated simply because they were born black. There was separate restroom for Whites and person of color. Blacks were denied the rear seat in cars as they were reserved for Whites. It first became a problem during the era of the passing of Jim Crow law. Lynch’s 2012 study (as cited in Cooper, 2015) indicates that “President Nixon in 1973 declared war on drug addiction and President Regan in 1982 escalated the war on drug.” The war on drug created a culture where African Americans are being overrepresented in drug arrests with twice as many as Caucasians. The war on drug laws specifically target towards minorities and the poor. The war on drug was defined as a problem as on the average Caucasian commit more drug crimes than Blacks but they most of them don’t spent time in jail than Blacks. The war on drug is predominantly wage in black neighborhoods. Brown’s 2007 study (as cited in Warde, 2012) found that “black men are three and half times more likely than whites to be stopped, frisked, and documented by the police.” There is trend in its manifestation as young men of color are stop on the street for no good reason. They are stop by police simply because they look suspicious. This is racial profiling and a way of intimidating persons of color rather than protecting them. This act is predominantly done in black neighborhood. The criminal justice system does not favor persons of color. There is a racial disparity gap between White and Black in the arrest and sentencing of drug