Criminal Justice: Stereotyping

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Criminal Justice: Stereotyping

Introduction

The word stereotyping can be defined as means of judging every other person belonging to a certain group on the same measures or more correctly generalization. Stereotyping occurs when people start having same opinion about others respective of ethnic group, race, cast etc. Stereotypes usually hamper accurate decision making allowing no room for individualism. People who are prone to stereotypes are sometimes due to past unhappy experiences with certain people.

However at other times stereotyping is also due to personal likes and dislikes about a person, idea or a group. Stereotypes follow a permanent or conventional idea. Stereotyping is when people from either positive or negative opinions about others and tend to base their judgements on it. It is also very commonly seen that people tend to generalize their views and categorize others according to gender, religion, colour, similar characteristics and so on.

Impact of Stereotyping in the Courtroom

Stereotyping in the courtroom obviously has its negative effects on people on trail because they affect the decision making of officials. Also it is very common that people of same colour and religion are treated equally especially at trail. For example Aboriginal Australians experience similar treatment from other people mainly because of discrimination. For this reason it should always be kept in mind that justices should not held others as guilty on criminals merely because of an individual's religion, race, colour or ethnic background. For example Muslims all over the world are stereotyped as terrorist, whereas the reality is totally different.

Appeal for the Second Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit states that, the use of racial stereotyping can influence a Judge's objectivity and fairness and therefore must be avoided to the full extent so that the meaning of justice is achieved. The courts are operating solely for the purpose of providing justice and for punishing criminals. Stereotyping contradicts or cancels out the defendant's right to be judged on proof and evidences and not on irrelevant issues. Stereotyping implants and entrenches in people the already present and well known perception that there are two standards of justice in the United States; they are for the Blacks and Whites separately. Secondly discrimination based on descent and hatred is another major factor involved in stereotyping.

The police is the first station where stereotyping starts and travels to the courtrooms. The recent debates are ...