Racial Disparity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Racial Disparity - Research Paper Example If it could be considered as one of the social problems of modern societies, racial disparity has caused severe concerns to governments worldwide mostly because of the following facts: the problem seems to be continuously expanded, i.e. there is no sign of limitation or even standardization; also, the phenomenon has been already developed at such level that threatens the stability of the society. Racial disparity is a critical social problem in countries worldwide. The problem is mostly reflected in the barriers faced by black people or people belonging in minorities when trying to enter the job market (The Independent 2008, NBC Washington 2011); the healthcare treatment provided to black people and people in minorities also reveals the existence of racial disparity (McNeil 2011). In criminal justice also, cases of racial disparity can be identified. Indeed, black people and people in minorities are most likely to be arrested for crimes of various types; moreover, people in this category are more likely to be convicted – compared the white people who have committed the same offences. In Illinois ‘19 per cent of black defendants charged in 2005 were sentenced to prison after being charged with a low-level drug possession felony’ (Di Benedetto 2011); the percentage of white people charged for the same crime was just 4% (Di Benedetto 2011). It should be noted though that the failure in managing racial disparity is not reflected just in the punishment imposed on offenders; it seems that criminal behavior is increased in black people and people belonging in minorities, a fact which shows the lack of measures for equally controlling crime across society. In a research developed in 2008 â€Å"10.1 per cent of all blacks reported using illegal drugs compared to 8.2 per cent of all whites† (Di Benedetto 2011). Racial disparity is an important social problem;  however, its limitation would require an integrated plan of action; the introduction of changes in the criteria of sentencing would not be adequate for reducing the number of minorities in courts and prisons.