NCJ Number
182076
Journal
Crime & Justice International Volume: 16 Issue: 36 Dated: January 2000 Pages: 9-29
Date Published
January 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the different discursive significations of race and deprivation.
Abstract
Studies have shown that, although jurors, who are drawn from different ranks of society and who have no legal training, pick up their materials from information presented before them in the trial process, their stand for a conviction or an acquittal is related to their knowledge, preconceived ideas, and similar elements. Evidence from drug trials presents another angle from which to address the issue of black people and the criminal justice system. To understand the disproportionate presence of black people in the criminal figures, it is necessary to dissect the subjective influences embedded in those processes that produce criminal statistics. That the courtroom is seen to encompass racial imageries as part of legal discourse is a valuable insight into the in-depth embodiment of sociological factors within the court process. The study may not provide a basis for substantial generalization in relation to other courts and times. References