Vulnerability to Police & Legal System Bias

Black communities often face bias in the policing and legal system. The police as an institution and individual officers have biases that affect their judgment, decisions, and behaviors. Examples of this are criminalization, racial profiling, and over-targeting of certain areas. These are not a result of anything individuals or the community has done, but a direct result of police bias. The legal system is also biased against black defendants. They are held in custody longer with cases take longer to resolve, are often charged with more serious crimes, and serve longer sentences as a result. High-quality legal representation is also not accessible or affordable, affecting low/middle-income citizens.

Click the links below to learn more about how this is a harm

The United States Department of Justice's "About DOJ"

States the mission and values of the Department of Justice as well as some background information

AbuseofPower.info's "Misuse of Police Powers"

Talks about how police officers are creating victims by abusing their power

YWCA's "Background: What are Criminalization and Racial Profiling?"

Defines criminalization and racial profiling and tells how this effects people of color

American Bar Association's "Access to Justice: Mitigating the Justice Gap"

Describes the justice gap and how not being able to afford quality legal representation puts people at a disadvantage

Legal Services Corporation's "2017 Justice Gap Report"

Gives statistics and evidence on how hard it is for some people to get good legal representation

Penn Law's "Examining Racial Disparities in Criminal Case Outcomes among Indigent Defendants in San Francisco"

Looks at specific criminal cases to show how differently minorities are treated in the legal process