The United States faces several, documented racial disparities in policing. Unethical practices and biases within law enforcement and the justice system have contributed to the unnecessary incarceration of juveniles. Socioeconomic biases, racial bias, and inadequate access to legal representation are all factors that increase the likelihood of juveniles becoming involved with the justice system. When these factors influence an individual's decision-making, it leads to unequal treatment and long-term harm to an individual's development, mental health, and future. Understanding how unethical biases and practices operate in the justice system involving juveniles is essential to addressing the inequalities that young people face.    

Rossol Gharib wrote a paper titled “White Racial Identity and Its Impact on Punitive Attitudes Towards Juvenile Offenders,” exploring the racial disparities that surround the current social norms and rules surrounding juveniles. “Not only does the public have a general distorted perception of crime, but a racially distorted view of juvenile delinquency as well” (Gharib,2021). Racial biases strongly relate to the punishment juveniles receive. When offenders are perceived to be “the same as me”, an individual is more likely to respond with empathy. However, if they are “different,” they respond harsher. This is seen with the increase in harsher punishments towards Black juveniles. This type of bias has been seen more often in social media with individuals such as George Floyd and Tamir Rice. These were both individuals who had encounters with American Police officers in which the situations escalated due to the officers' racial biases towards them. People who benefit from the system, particularly white individuals, could help make changes within the system by speaking up when they view an officer being unfair to an individual based on race. Law enforcement targeting individuals based on race or socioeconomic status can lead to wrongful detention or even fatal encounters.

Incarceration during the adolescent stage disrupts the development of cognitive skills and can lead to low self-esteem and violent behavior in youths. Being incarcerated during these crucial years can lead to a future filled with challenges and lasting trauma. Many incarcerated juveniles are incarcerated due to the lack of resources they had or due to the color of their skin. Research consistently shows that Black and Latino youth are disproportionately arrested compared to white youth. Individuals may view these juveniles as more dangerous or culpable for certain offenses, which can lead to their arrest or even unfair punishment. The unethical biases and practices that lead juveniles to become incarcerated should not exist. Fairness within the justice system must be improved, starting with law enforcement.

References

Burton, C. S. (2019). Child savers and unchildlike youth: Class, race, and juvenile justice in the early twentieth century. Law & Social Inquiry, 44(4), 1251-1269. https://doi.org/10.1017/lsi.2019.11  

Gharib, R. (2021). White racial identity and its impact on punitive attitudes towards juvenile offenders. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 16(2), 221. 

Lai, C. K., & Lisnek, J. A. (2023). The impact of implicit-bias-oriented diversity training on police officers’ beliefs, motivations, and actions. Psychological Science, 34(4), 424-434. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976221150617  

Unnever, J. D., Cullen, F. T., & Barnes, J. C. (2017). Racial discrimination and pathways to delinquency: Testing a theory of african american offending. Race and Justice, 7(4), 350-373. https://doi.org/10.1177/2153368716658768