Overlap of Race and Class: The correlation between the wealth and race of an individual has a significant effect in the Criminal Justice System.
Wealth has an impact because poor or poverty stricken communities typically include minorities. In these poor communities, over-policing occurs with associated racial profiling. Police concentrate these areas and stop and arrest many more people than people participating in similar illegal behavior in predominately White areas. These concentrated areas are called "hot spots." The hot spots of Minnesota include various parts of Hennepin and Ramsey counties, specifically North Minneapolis.
In Hennepin County: Blacks use and possess marijuana at about the same rate as Whites, yet there are eight Black people for every one White person arrested for offenses relating to marijuana.
According to the ACLU of Minnesota, Minnesota’s data of marijuana use suggests that Blacks and Whites use marijuana at roughly the same rate; however, Blacks in Hennepin and Ramsey county are eight and nine times more likely to be arrested for crimes involving marijuana use, respectively. The national disparity is around a 3.73:1 ratio, meaning for every White arrested for marijuana use, an average of 3.73 Black people are too. Black people represent a high percentage of those arrested for marijuana related offenses because of the concentration of poor, Black communities by police officers. Meanwhile, people who are typically White committing the exact same crimes are getting off scot-free because of the little policing in these mostly White neighborhoods. (See disproportionate arrest rates for marijuana arrests data)
Lower-class Individuals Who Are Charged with a Crime: Lack ability to hire a private defense attorney.
Another disadvantage of being lower-class and committing/being charged with a crime, is that once in the system this poor individual lacks the ability to hire a private defense attorney. Currently, a public defender is automatically assigned to the charged individual. Josh Esmay, a former public defender who I interviewed, says from experience that public defenders are vastly underfunded, even a great defense attorney does not have the hours in the day to put up the full defense. Public defenders are tremendously over worked compared to prosecutors and have fewer resources available to prepare their cases.
Socioeconomic Status: Tied into education, opportunities.
Being economically disadvantaged is tied into lower education and education opportunities. Sadly, low quality education for poor communities is the reason for the school-jail pipeline. The school-jail pipeline is an abhorrent phenomenon that afflicts poor communities typically of color. It consists of poor education from the school, little or no support from families, and few opportunities. These three elements of the school-jail pipeline leads to expulsion from school, followed by frequent crimes being committed, and subsequently leading to enormous incarceration rates.
Wealth Plays an Integral Role in Determining who Will End up in Prison.
A vicious cycle of over-policing, poverty-related inequities in legal representation, incarceration, release, and re-incarceration, encompasses the economically disadvantaged (which are typically minority) demonstrating that one's race and wealth are intertwined in the Criminal Justice process.
"As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I have a billion dollars."-Martin Luther King Jr.