The American criminal justice system is usually referred to as an unfair one, in which prejudice and discrimination coexist together with racial differences. These problematic issues have been associated with factors such as racial profiling where people are discriminated against based on their race, sentencing disparities leading to stringent sentencing for minorities, over-policing in minority communities and systemic factors such as mandatory minimums (Kovera, 2019). The long-standing racial history of racism and institutional bias contributes to the disproportionate representation of African Americans and other minorities in the criminal justice system. These deeply rooted prejudices and systemic flaws reveal the necessity of systemic reforms and require a justice system that is equally fair to all people.
