The Color of Justice: Mass Incarceration and Racial Disparities

These flashcards cover key concepts and terms from the lecture on the racial disparities in the criminal justice system as described in 'The New Jim Crow' by Michelle Alexander.

War on Drugs

A campaign led by the U.S. government aimed at prohibiting illegal drug use, which has led to mass incarceration, particularly impacting communities of color.

Discretion

The freedom for law enforcement officials to make decisions on whom to stop, search, arrest, and charge, often leading to racial disparities.

Sentencing Disparities

Differences in prison sentences given to individuals based on race or ethnicity, not necessarily reflective of the severity of the crime.

Colorblindness

A social and political philosophy asserting that race should not be considered, often leading to the neglect of systemic racial inequalities.

Implicit Bias

The attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.

Racial Profiling

The discriminatory practice of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on their race or ethnicity.

McCleskey v. Kemp (1987)

A landmark Supreme Court case addressing racial bias in sentencing, which concluded that evidence of systemic discrimination was insufficient to challenge individual cases.

Felony Disenfranchisement

The loss of voting rights due to a felony conviction, disproportionately affecting African American and Latino communities.

The New Jim Crow

A term used to describe the systemic racial caste structure created by mass incarceration and the War on Drugs that discriminates against people of color.

Probation and Parole

Forms of supervised release following incarceration that often perpetuate restrictions and continue the cycle of punishment and control.

Systemic Racism

Social structures and policies that disadvantage racial minorities and perpetuate inequality, often unconsciously integrated into institutions.