U.S. Criminal Justice: Oppression, Alcohol, and IT Reform

Introduction

The criminal justice system in the United States — and indeed anywhere in the world — is a governmental tool designed to ensure the safety and security of citizens. Certain areas of the system have, however, been identified in research as steering away from this goal. The public has lost a considerable amount of trust in the system as a result of apparent oppressive practices. Furthermore, alcohol has been shown to be a significant factor in many crimes, yet many prisoners with drinking problems remain untreated, and criminal behavior is perpetuated as a result. There are, however, also significant developments within the system — including advances in information technology — that could help create new job opportunities and greater efficiency across a variety of departments.

Perceived Oppression in the Criminal Justice System

The United States prison system appears to be the product of years of accumulated oppressive practices directed particularly against African Americans. According to Parenti, the 900% growth of the Justice Department's budget over the last twenty years has been used primarily to build an increasing number of prisons. These facilities house a growing number of prisoners — currently around 60% of all inmates — who are incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses. Furthermore, approximately one out of every three Black men in their twenties is under criminal justice supervision or is sought under warrant.

A further criminal justice problem emerged in the wake of September 11, 2001. Surveillance practices were expanded to target "suspicious" persons, meaning that individuals of Arab or similar Eastern descent became the subjects of frequently invasive surveillance. This represents a continuation of what Parenti calls an "over-policed, surveillance society." Arabs were effectively added to Black Americans as a demographic profile for likely criminal or terrorist activity.

Despite the popular explanation that the prison boom is economically driven, Parenti suggests that the root of this problem lies elsewhere. The economic data associated with prisons appears to support this view, since prisons are not, according to Parenti, profitable in straightforward economic terms. The real profit derived from the prison system operates instead through what Parenti identifies as the capital and ideology of white supremacy — and this holds true even in an era ostensibly committed to equal opportunity and human rights. Parenti identifies two specific forces perpetuating human rights violations within the criminal justice system: creating political obedience, and regulating the price of labor. This is a political legacy rooted in the earliest history of colonization and racial domination. It is unfortunate that the criminal justice system should serve as an instrument of the state's abusive policies. The prison system is thus used not so much to protect the public from crime — as is popularly believed — but rather to preserve the covert policies of oppression that persist within the state.

This situation produces a problem of communication — or rather, a profound lack thereof — between the government, criminal justice organizations, and the public. The public is being misled by pro-police and pro-justice rhetoric that is frequently at odds with reality. The oppression of Muslim and Arab people may be taken as the most recent example. The so-called "war on terrorism" became an oppressive practice criticized by many observers. Similarly, the overburdened prison and criminal justice systems have become instruments of oppression rather than effective tools for fighting crime.

In terms of policing, the oppressive practices emanating from the criminal justice system and the state have also shaped the police force itself. This was especially pronounced during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, when a person's skin color or appearance could determine whether police treated them as a likely criminal. In many such cases, the "innocent until proven guilty" principle was effectively reversed, and Black Americans — and later Arab Americans — were treated as guilty until proven otherwise.

The problem is not only one of communication, but also one of leadership. At the highest levels, political leaders have at times actively encouraged oppressive practices within the criminal justice system. Police forces are thus heavily influenced by government officials to adopt paradigms rooted in racism and discrimination. "Protecting the public" has too often meant protecting only those who fit the approved demographic profile.

Such problems can, however, be addressed through sound leadership and improved communication between criminal justice organizations and the public. For example, police department hiring practices have shifted, with increasing numbers of women and people from diverse racial backgrounds joining various departments. Furthermore, over the past century, public expectations have moved steadily toward a genuinely democratic model in which every person has an equal opportunity to participate in civic life.

Community policing is one approach through which the public is directly engaged in an open dialogue with police. It offers an opportunity to keep the public informed about how police work to provide fair and equal protection. Criminal justice organizations should liaise with the public in this and similar ways to rebuild the trust that has been eroded by the exposure of human rights violations, and to create a more effective environment for fighting crime.

These issues also connect to the problem of alcohol abuse among prisoners and its relationship to criminal activity. The perception of this problem is often that it is less severe than it actually is, meaning that alcohol abuse among inmates frequently goes untreated — and the criminal activity associated with it is allowed to continue.

Conclusion

Many individuals within the criminal justice system take their responsibilities very seriously and sincerely strive to uphold the law. It is these individuals who ensure that the country adheres to the democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution since its inception.

Through advanced technology, power can once again be placed more firmly in public hands, making government corruption and unchecked prison expansion more difficult to sustain. The better principles of the criminal justice system can be promoted and protected by IT infrastructure. The connection of individuals and communities through technology can serve as a tool to ensure that corruption — whether by individuals or large institutions — becomes increasingly difficult to conduct without detection.

Criminal justice should be exactly what its name implies. Criminals should receive sentences that are proportionate and just. The police should make the community — rather than the government or corporate interests — their primary concern, as was always the original intent.

Bibliography

Parenti, Christian. "The 'New' Criminal Justice System: State Repression from 1968 to 2001." In Monthly Review, July 2001. Society for the Advancement of Education, 2002.

Polcin, Douglas L. "Factors associated with probation officers' use of criminal justice coercion to mandate alcohol treatment." In American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, August 2003. Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2003.

Rogers, James. "Criminal justice modernisation will create hundreds of IT jobs." In Computer Weekly, August 1, 2002. Reed Business Information Limited, 2002.