The United States Criminal Justice System Essay

â€Å"13th† is a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay. It is named after the 13th Amendment to the American Constitution which outlawed slavery unless you are being punished for a crime. The film focuses on racism in the United States’ criminal justice system. According to DuVernay, the part of the 13th Amendment that says â€Å"unless you are being punished for a crime† is a loophole that has been used to allow slavery to continue in the early days during reconstruction and even now. This loophole coupled with the criminalization of the black man has led to mass incarceration of minorities. The United States which has only five percent of the world’s population but has twenty-five percent of the world’s prisoners. The prison population of the United States has exploded from 300, 000 in 1972 to 2.3 million now. Each component of the criminal justice system, law enforcement, the courts and corrections, has contributed to the perpetuation of slavery through its contribution to mass incarceration. Law enforcement has contributed to the perpetuation of slavery. Police are enforcing laws that have been made by the legislative branch of government. During the days after the Civil War, many freed slaves were arrested for petty crimes such as vagrancy and loitering. They were forced at young ages to work on chain gangs and provide free labor to rebuild the economy of the South. Between Reconstruction and World War II, thousands of black men were lynched under the guise that they wereShow MoreRelatedThe United States And The Criminal Justice System Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States considers itself to be the best country in the world. This sense of nationalism is present because of the country’s history of opportunities and their emphasis on the power of their people. 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Times have definitely changed for the Criminal Justice System and for