Ethnicity and criminal justice in the era of mass incarceration : a critical reader on the Latino experience

Ethnicity and Criminal Justice in the Era of Mass Incarceration: A Critical Reader on the Latino Experience is designed as a Latino reader in criminal justice, covering a much broader spectrum of the Latino experience in criminal justice and society, while giving readers a broad overview of the Latino experience in a single book. Considering the shifting trends in demographics and the current state of the criminal justice system, along with the current political climate, this book is timely and of critical significance for the academic, political, and social arena. The authors report sound evidence that testifies to a historical legacy of violence, brutality, manipulation, oppression, marginalization, prejudice, discrimination, power, and control, and to white America s continued fear about ethnic and racial minorities, a movement that continues in the twentyfirst century as we have been witnessing during the 2T52T6 presidential race, highly charged with antiimmigrant and antiMexican political rhetoric. A central objective of this book is to demystify and expose the ways in which ideas of ethnicity, race, gender, and class uphold the functioning and legitimacy of the criminal justice system. In this mission, rather than attempting to develop a single explanation for the Latino experience in policing, the courts, and the penal system, this book presents a variety of studies and perspectives that illustrate alternative ways of interpreting crime, punishment, safety, equality, and justice. The findings reveal that race, ethnicity, gender, class, and several other variables continue to play a significant role in the legal decisionmaking process. With the social control (from police brutality to immigration) discourse reaching unprecedented levels, the book will have broad appeal for students, police officers, advocates/activists, attorneys, the media, and the general public. Ethnicity and Criminal Justice in the Era of Mass Incarceration: A Critical Reader on the Latino Experience is designed as a Latino reader in criminal justice, covering a much broader spectrum of the Latino experience in criminal justice and society, while giving readers a broad overview of the Latino experience in a single book. Considering the shifting trends in demographics and the current state of the criminal justice system, along with the current political “climate,” this book is timely and of critical significance for the academic, political, and social arena. The authors report sound evidence that testifies to a historical legacy of violence, brutality, manipulation, oppression, marginalization, prejudice, discrimination, power, and control, and to white America’s continued fear about ethnic and racial minorities, a movement that continues in the twenty-first century—as we have been witnessing during the 2015-2016 presidential race, highly charged with anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican political rhetoric. A central objective of this book is to demystify and expose the ways in which ideas of ethnicity, race, gender, and class uphold the functioning and “legitimacy” of the criminal justice system. In this mission, rather than attempting to develop a single explanation for the Latino experience in policing, the courts, and the penal system, this book presents a variety of studies and perspectives that illustrate alternative ways of interpreting crime, punishment, safety, equality, and justice. The findings reveal that race, ethnicity, gender, class, and several other variables continue to play a significant role in the legal decision-making process. With the social control (from police brutality to immigration) discourse reaching unprecedented levels, the book will have broad appeal for students, police officers, advocates/activists, attorneys, the media, and the general public. ETHNICITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN THE ERA OF MASS INCARCERATION: A Critical Reader on the Latino Experience is designed as a Latino reader in criminal justice, covering a much broader spectrum of the Latino experience in criminal justice and society, while giving readers a broad overview of the Latino experience in a single book. Considering the shifting trends in demographics and the current state of the criminal justice system, along with the current political climate, this book is timely and of critical significance for the academic, political, and social arena. The authors report sound evidence that testifies to a historical legacy of violence, brutality, manipulation, oppression, marginalization, prejudice, discrimination, power, and control, and to white America s continued fear about ethnic and racial minorities, a movement that continues in the twenty-first century as we have been witnessing during the 2015-2016 presidential race, highly charged with anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican political rhetoric. A central objective of this book is to demystify and expose the ways in which ideas of ethnicity, race, gender, and class uphold the functioning and legitimacy of the criminal justice system. In this mission, rather than attempting to develop a single explanation for the Latino experience in policing, the courts, and the penal system, this book presents a variety of studies and perspectives that illustrate alternative ways of interpreting crime, punishment, safety, equality, and justice. The findings reveal that race, ethnicity, gender, class, and several other variables continue to play a significant role in the legal decision-making process. With the social control (from police brutality to immigration) discourse reaching unprecedented levels, the book will have broad appeal for students, police officers, advocates/activists, attorneys, the media, and the general public. "[This book] is designed as a Latino reader in criminal justice, covering a much broader spectrum of the Latino experience in criminal justice and society, while giving readers a broad overview of the Latino experience in a single book. Considering the shifting trends in demographics and the current state of the criminal justice system, along with the current political climate, this book is timely and of critical significance for the academic, political, and social arena. The authors report sound evidence that testifies to a historical legacy of violence, brutality, manipulation, oppression, marginalization, prejudice, discrimination, power, and control, and to white America's continued fear about ethnic and racial minorities, a movement that continues in the twenty-first century as we have been witnessing during the 2015-2016 presidential race, highly charged with anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican political rhetoric. A central objective of this book is to demystify and expose the ways in which ideas of ethnicity, race, gender, and class uphold the functioning and legitimacy of the criminal justice system. In this mission, rather than attempting to develop a single explanation for the Latino experience in policing, the courts, and the penal system, this book presents a variety of studies and perspectives that illustrate alternative ways of interpreting crime, punishment, safety, equality, and justice. The findings reveal that race, ethnicity, gender, class, and several other variables continue to play a significant role in the legal decision-making process. With the social control (from police brutality to immigration) discourse reaching unprecedented levels, the book will have broad appeal for students, police officers, advocates/activists, attorneys, the media, and the general public."-- Back cover CONTENTS Chapter 1: THE LATINO CONDITION: DIVERSITY,CHANGE, AND SOCIAL CONTROL Chapter 2: SITUATING CONQUEST, COLONIALISM,SLAVERY, ETHNIC IDENTITY FORMATION,CITIZENSHIP, AND CRIMINAL LAW IN AMERICA Chapter 3: HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY FORCES GOVERNING HISPANIC CRIMINAL (IN)JUSTICE Chapter 4: LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES: UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORICAL AND SYSTEMIC FOUNDATIONS OF RACIAL OPPRESSION Chapter 5: CRIMINALIZING MEXICAN IDENTITY: PRIVILEGE, POWER, AND IDENTITY FORMATION Chapter 6: POLICING THE BARRIOS: LATINOS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE YEARS Chapter 7 LATINO POLICE OFFICERS, POLICY, AND PRACTICE: POSITIVE POLICE REFORM OR REINFORCEMENT OF STRUCTURAL HIERARCHIES Chapter 8 LATINOS AND THE U.S. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: THE ROAD TO PRISON Chapter 9: LIFE AFTER PRISON: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OVERCOMING LEGAL BARRIERS, COMMUNITY REENTRY, AND STEPS FOR MAKING IT OUTSIDE Chapter 10: THE THIN BLUE LINE: PROPOSITIONS FORA NEW POLICE FORCE Chapter 11: THE MINORITY EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE LENS OF THE AMERICAN MEDIA: EIGHT COUNTER-STEREOTYPING STRATEGIES Chapter 12: MANIFESTATIONS OF HISTORICALLY ENTRENCHED RACIAL IDEOLOGIES IN AMERICAN EDUCATION: TOOLS FOR LATINO STUDENTS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Chapter 13: THE NEW FRONTIER: GLOBALIZATION, LATINOS, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE Chapter 14: THE FUTURE OF LATINOS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: BRIDGING THE GAPS AND FUTURE RESEARCH NOTES REFERENCES