Socio-Economic Status And The Criminal Justice System

Socio-economic Status and the Criminal Justice System Name: Course: Instructor: Date: There was a statement by Reinman (2007) which says, “The rich get richer and the poor get prison.” This statement shades light on the disparity between the poor and the rich across the criminal justice system. Despite the fact that criminal justice has to enforce equity; the poor continue to be discriminated against in the criminal justice system starting from the point of arrest to sentencing. There have been various arguments that try to explain why the disparity exists. The standpoint of a consensus argues that the law reflects societal values and does not favor anyone regarding their socio-economic status. The theories of Marxism argue that the criminal justice system works to benefit the society’s structure of power. Historically, there is evidence that law has always been biased when it comes to power (McGee, 2015). It has always discriminated against the poor and particularly the minorities. Crime...