BYP Memo: Equal Protection? Race and Young People’s Attitudes Toward the Legal System
The verdicts in the Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis cases have focused increased attention on racial disparities in the American justice system, and according to The BYP’s latest memo, nearly three-quarters of Black Youth believe the legal system does not treat all groups equally, a rate considerably higher than that for white and Latino youth.
Similarly, only about 60 percent of Black youth report feeling like full and equal citizens with all the same rights and protections as everyone else, compared with 64.1 percent of Latino youth and 72.9 percent of white youth.
The findings come from a survey of 1,500 young people ages 18 to 29 to gauge their attitudes toward the legal system and examine to what degree they feel fully protected under the law.
What do such feelings of distrust and political alienation mean for the functioning of our democracy? Please read the full report to find out.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REPORT
