Although the criminal justice system is required to treat people equally. There is some discrimination and unfairness in this institution, and various people have different opinions about crime commitment, the justice system, and the predisposition to being put to jail. In my opinion, there are some factors that influence people’s future concerning illegal actions. However, they do not include race or ethnicity as any person regardless of skin color can be under the affection of those factors. My opinion is supported by the statement that social and economic inequality gives an explanation of why people usually commit crimes, who is arrested, prosecuted, and put to prison (Walker, Spohn, & DeLone, 2016). My attitude toward this issue is not supported by everybody as even some of my friends or relatives argue that position.
My grandfather is one example of a person that usually disagrees with me on criminal justice and race issues; therefore, he is rather conservative regarding the question of ethnicity. According to his point of view, the representatives of the Negro community are more predisposed to crimes commitment; therefore, the criminal justice system should apply some stricter criteria to them. In the minds of the majority of Americans, such words as race, gang, and crime are inextricably correlated (Walker et al., 2016). My grandfather thinks as well that after being released from prison people should not be supported financially as this creates new opportunities for acting illegally. Therefore, the grandfather is a good person to conduct an interview with. He has a greater life experience which can be analyzed as well, and the change in the relation to African Americans can be noticed and evaluated.
My questions concern various topics related to the criminal justice system and race issues and are structured so that the opinion of the interviewed person can be examined. The 10 questions are:
- In what ways are people discriminated against by police officers due to race or ethnicity issues?
- What methods of improvement of the police-citizen relationships could you suggest if you were on the mistreated side?
- In your opinion, what is the role of race in criminal justice and why is it on that level?
- What challenges can be met because of the race issue in the criminal justice system and how can those problems be solved?
- From your point of view, what is the relation between race and domestic terrorism, and how can your opinion be supported?
- Is race or ethnicity a factor that influences crime rate, and do you think that it is an essential criterion for future crime commitment?
- Are African Americans more predisposed to illegal behavior than white Americans, and why do you think so?
- Do you recall any examples of conflicts or scandals between the representatives of the Negro community and police officers or the criminal justice system?
- What changes should be provided to the criminal justice system regarding various ethnical groups, and what are the different ways of the modifications’ implementation?
- Have you ever witnessed any kind of injustice from police officers’ side regarding African Americans or any people of non-American ethnicity?
Those questions will help me fully understand my grandfather’s opinion on the issue of race in the criminal justice system and estimate its match with my viewpoint. Along with it, his answers will provide me with more facts, information, evidence, and subjective opinion concerning the discussed problem, which is essential for its complete understanding.
Reference
Walker, S., Spohn, C., & DeLone, M. (2016). The color of justice: race, ethnicity, and crime in America. Cengage Learning.