Disparities in Criminal Justice, Race, Place and Police Violence

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Stratification and Inequality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 11432

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Guest Editor
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Maryland Global Campus, Largo, MD 20774, USA
Interests: income inequality; disparities; justice inequality; place-based inequality; geographical inequality
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Dear Colleagues,

Neighborhoods with diverse characteristics, including socioeconomic and geographic distribution, impact the way communities respond to extreme events. Oftentimes, neighborhoods experience social conditions such as high poverty, low educational attainment, or lack of racial and ethnic diversity. The literature suggests that race, neighborhood violence, and economic inequalities are predictors of fatal police shootings. Systemic inequities and community determinants can leave racial and ethnic minorities vulnerable to repeated police interactions and police violence. Since policing practices are often concentrated in minority communities, residents are disproportionately subjected to the consequences of police militarization. For example, in some communities, police use of force is often experienced as “every day” normalized events, further shaping the way police enforce social control. Moreover, officers may be predisposed to changing practices based on environment (i.e., higher crime rate, a higher proportion of residents in poverty) that are more likely to result in coercive and severe dispositions. Dissimilarity can further propagate cognitive biases. For example, Black dissimilarity (fewer Black residents in a geographic region) is associated with a significant increase in racial and ethnic disparities in fatal police shootings. The disproportionate impact of police violence in lower-income and distressed communities highlights the impact of neighborhood-based vulnerability and its influence on the way communities engage with police departments across the country.

Dr. Hossein Zare
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • arrest
  • fatal shooting
  • violence
  • police violence
  • criminal justice
  • disparities
  • race
  • place

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 354 KiB  
Article
Criminality and Income Inequality in Indonesia
by Lilik Sugiharti, Miguel Angel Esquivias, Mohd Shahidan Shaari, Lussi Agustin and Hilda Rohmawati
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(3), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11030142 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5196
Abstract
We investigate whether a nexus exists between income inequality and criminal activity in Indonesia. Additionally, we examine socioeconomic variables and potential links with criminal actions (i.e., crime rate, murder, rape, physical abuse, robbery, and fraud). We use the generalized method of moments (GMM) [...] Read more.
We investigate whether a nexus exists between income inequality and criminal activity in Indonesia. Additionally, we examine socioeconomic variables and potential links with criminal actions (i.e., crime rate, murder, rape, physical abuse, robbery, and fraud). We use the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach, employing data for 34 provinces in Indonesia over the period of 2010–2019. The results indicate that income inequality is associated with higher criminal activity. Overall, lower unemployment, larger investment (foreign and domestic), and higher human development (education and health) can help reduce crime in Indonesia. However, higher income can reduce physical abuse and crime rates, but theft and fraud increase with income growth. Rising unemployment increases rape, abuse, robbery, and fraud. Still, unemployment does not affect murder, suggesting that non-economic factors are dominant in explaining murder and violent crimes. Furthermore, income inequality can increase robbery and fraud, although it has no significant effects on murder, rape, and abuse. Government spending on social assistance and more efficient settlement of criminal acts can lower crime rates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disparities in Criminal Justice, Race, Place and Police Violence)

Review

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21 pages, 602 KiB  
Review
Association between Neighborhood and Racial Composition of Victims on Fatal Police Shooting and Police Violence: An Integrated Review (2000–2022)
by Hossein Zare, Nicholas S. Meyerson, Paul Delgado, Michelle Spencer, Darrell J. Gaskin and Roland J. Thorpe, Jr.
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(4), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11040153 - 01 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5614
Abstract
Police violence is a multidimensional issue that requires consideration of the violent events and how these events reflect systemic oppression. Violence and policing practices are influenced by race and ethnicity, place/neighborhood, structural inequality, and racism. We performed an integrated literature review to critically [...] Read more.
Police violence is a multidimensional issue that requires consideration of the violent events and how these events reflect systemic oppression. Violence and policing practices are influenced by race and ethnicity, place/neighborhood, structural inequality, and racism. We performed an integrated literature review to critically evaluate the current evidence, focusing on the racial composition of communities and neighborhoods and its association with police-involved violence and fatal shootings between 2000 and 2022. We used Scopus and Web of Science to include peer-reviewed articles in English that studied racial/ethnic differences in police-involved violence in the United States between January 2000 and February 2022. We excluded prior systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and articles on drug-related arrests. Using a PRISMA approach from 651 identified articles, we included 37 articles. Our findings showed that racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately stopped, experience a higher probability of arrest, and are more commonly subjected to police-involved fatal shootings. Victims are more likely to live in neighborhoods with lower income and distressed communities of color, higher poverty ratios, and the highest levels of criminal violence. Citizens reporting of negative interactions with police is strongly associated with race/ethnicity. Maintaining the highest standards of professional practice consistent with the law and protections guaranteed by the Constitution may reduce police violence. In addressing police violence, policymakers not only need to consider the multidisciplinary nature of vulnerability to address the needs of vulnerable populations and create a collaborative environment but also to control police violence. Considering community-based approaches, encouraging training to interact with minority individuals, and adjusting the racial composition of the police officers by the racial composition of communities are other strategies; more importantly, prioritizing strategies to reduce social inequality and structural racism are crucial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disparities in Criminal Justice, Race, Place and Police Violence)
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