Superpredators and Systemic Racism in Criminal Justice

systemic racism in criminal justiceHere’s a thoughtful essay by D.J. Tice with the StarTribune.  He writes about how the political focus on the criminal justice system has changed: from fear of “superpredators” to systemic racism in criminal justice in the U.S.  http://www.startribune.com/politicians-who-raised-alarm-over-superpredators-now-decry-systematic-racism/369492942/

He points out that all the politicians in the 1980s warned of criminal gangs taking over, out-of-control crime, and even something unseen before in the history of America: the superpredator.  A criminal (usually young and male) who was so devoid of conscience that he would attack and kill without a thought.

In order to protect us from this menace, the same politicians started to “get tough on crime.”  Which meant, more intensive policing, more arrests, more convictions, and most critical, longer prison sentences.

Today, we have inherited the huge prison population and now politicians are warning about the systemic racism in criminal justice because most of the inmates are people of color.

I remember working as criminal trial lawyer in the 1980s.

We could talk for days about these issues, but the essay will give you a good over-view of the arguments you’re hearing today.

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About Colin Nelson

Colin T. Nelson worked for 40 years as a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer in Minneapolis. He tried everything from speeding tickets to first degree murder. His writing about the courtroom and the legal system give the reader a "back door" view of what goes on, what's funny, and what's a good story. He has also traveled extensively and includes those locations in his mysteries. Some are set in Southeast Asia, Ecuador,Peru, and South Africa. Readers get a suspenseful tale while learning about new places on the planet. Colin is married, has two adult children, and plays the saxophone in various bands.

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