America’s Justice System: One for the Rich, One for the Poor
Can this be true?
There has always been debate over whether America has a two-tiered justice system, but there are also facts that prove this system does exist. In fact, it’s not just one tier — it’s two and even three tiers, depending on your income level and how much political influence you have.
Consider the following examples of the justice system and the rich vs. poor in America. Let’s discuss if this does exist today.
Is There Really a Two-tier Justice System?
While it’s easy to assume that there are two tiers of justice in America — one for those with money and one for those without, how true is that? For starters, studies have proven time and again that socioeconomic status affects every part of our lives.
Consider life expectancy. Middle-aged men living in affluent neighborhoods live as much as 15 years longer than those in poor areas, thanks to better health care and public resources like parks and cleaner air. How about criminal justice?
The average jail sentence is three months longer if you belong to a lower-income racial group, while a young man from an affluent neighborhood is 50% more likely to be sent to prison than his peers who grew up on welfare.
How We Got Here
In recent years, America’s justice system has been plagued by allegations of racial discrimination. In 2013 a study published in The Stanford Law Review said there was unequivocal evidence that people who had used drugs within three years of arrest were far more likely to be sentenced to prison than non-drug users.
The report went on to suggest that prosecutors used mandatory minimum sentencing as a means of maintaining social control over lower-class and minority communities.
Critics have also condemned civil asset forfeiture laws, which are often used when police officers suspect someone of having a large amount of cash or valuable goods derived from illegal activity.
These laws allow officers to seize property and money without securing a conviction or even charging anyone with an offense.
Our Criminal Justice System is Broken
Despite decades of tough-on-crime policy and draconian sentences, America’s prisons are bursting at their seams. Nearly 1.5 million people are in prison in America, more than any other country on earth and most of them will re-offend upon release.
The system is not only unsustainable, but it also doesn’t deter crime or reduce recidivism. In fact, many states with low levels of incarceration have similar or lower crime rates than states with high incarceration rates.
Clearly, something isn’t working and that something may just be our criminal justice system itself.
Why It’s Important to Fix This
Because justice is supposed to be blind. Not all justice systems are equal when it comes to how they punish those who break laws. According to an analysis from UCLA law professor Dr. Adam Benforado, defendants that have money can afford more competent legal counsel, which can lead to better outcomes and even lower sentences than those charged with similar crimes who do not have as much financial means.
This isn’t a new phenomenon and is something that has plagued our judicial system since its inception centuries ago. Although there are many criticisms of our current legal system, America’s two-tiered justice system may be one of its biggest issues, and why we must work towards addressing and fixing these issues today.
Why Does the Justice System Always Seem to Favor the Rich?
It’s common knowledge that America’s justice system seems to favor people with money. A recent example of a justice system run amok is when financier Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for masterminding a $65 billion Ponzi scheme.
At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said that Madoff betrayed our trust. But how did Madoff manage to swindle so many people?
What is it about him that got him off with such a lengthy sentence while hundreds of others who had committed lesser crimes received less severe sentences?
Why did he receive a harsher sentence than someone who killed one person while drunk driving?
When Did the Justice System Become Political?
You don’t have to be an attorney or criminal expert to have an opinion on what’s happening in America’s justice system. What was once thought of as a fair, unbiased system is no longer; it has become politicized with the special treatment given to those who can afford it most.
Let’s take a look at why many feel our justice system is failing us. What happened and when did it begin? When will we stop letting politics play such a prominent role in how society operates?
How do we go about fixing America’s justice system? I hope we can figure it out soon!
Final Thoughts
No one would deny that America has a two-tiered justice system where wealth is afforded to those who can afford to pay high-powered attorneys and fines. This has been well documented in cases involving white-collar crime and non-violent drug offenses.
Unfortunately what most people don’t realize is that America has a lower standard of justice where wealth disparity is taking place at a juvenile level as well.
Youth with money can escape punishment by paying off their case or hiring a lawyer while less fortunate children are sentenced to prison or put on probation with fines that they cannot pay.
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