Immigration, Hispanics, and Mass Incarceration in the U.S.

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Overview of the Research Problem
Annotated Bibliography
Literature Review
References

Overview of the Research Problem

The United States has the highest incarceration rate that remains unsurpassed internationally. Over the last forty years, the incarceration rate has increased by 500% due to social, institutional, and political forces (Bronson & Carson, 2019). Initially, the high incarceration rates targeted distinct minority groups, that is, the black American and Latino communities, which could be related to police deviance. Over time, the disparity between the minorities and white inmates in the prison population narrowed, as the population of white inmates increased. This may be attributed to reported increasing crime incidences among the white population (Bronson & Carson, 2019).

Currently, with the election of Donald Trump as America’s 45th president, the immigration-crime nexus, has grown to be the center of analysis and debate. The U.S. has experienced an enormous wave of deportation of immigrants, and this has been theoretically linked to decreased crime rates, more so among the Latinos. Nevertheless, some studies contest this school of thought that associate the current stringent immigration policies with declining crime rates (Bronson & Carson, 2019).

In the face of this conflicting viewpoint, there exists a gap to conclusively support the main argument that informs crime rate dynamics (Ousey & Kubrin, 2017). This gaps especially exists in the sphere of property crime rates where the immigrant population is treated as a homogenous entity (Baker, 2015). Therefore, this intended longitudinal research will help unpack the homogeneity in property crime rate dynamics.

Annotated Bibliography

Baker, R. (2015). Effects of immigrant legalization on crime. The American Economic Review, 105(5), 210-213. Web.

This article evaluates the effect of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), that led to the legalization of approximately 3 million immigrants had on the crime rates in the U.S. The results established a positive correlation between immigration and property crime rates. Baker employed rigorous research techniques through combining quasi-random timing with geographic variation in the treatment intensity to segregate causal impacts.

However, it is usually challenging to count immigrants accurately, and this is because it is only during the census that individuals can self-identify as immigrants, in which they are probably undercounted. Moreover, it is almost impossible to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized immigrants; therefore, the disparity between these two groups cannot be accurately reflected in the research. Nevertheless, in spite of these limitations, the article provides useful background information on the topic of immigration-property crime nexus. Overall, Baker’s article is timely, descriptive, and extensively researched.

Ousey, C., & Kubrin, E. (2017). Immigration and crime: Assessing a contentious issue. Annual Review of Criminology, 1(1), 63-84. Web.

Ousey and Kubrin attempt to have a more in-depth understanding of the immigration-crime relationship by reviewing a body of literature. The findings illustrate the presence of a negative but weak association between the two elements. Moreover, it shows that results regarding the immigration-crime nexus vary across and also within the studies examined. Lastly, it is also essential to note that the systematic review identified one main piece of limitation that previous studies lacked and that was that they failed to comprehensively use a longitudinal approach even though it provides a greater analytical rigor.

Ousey and Kubrin results appear valid, and the articles selected for review are both quantitative and qualitative. Therefore, this can be regarded as an indispensable and timely work containing a summative view of research examining the interrelationship between immigration and crime.

Literature Review

The problem of high incarceration rates has bedevilled the U.S. for a long time. There is a relationship between race or ethnicity, immigration, and crime rates. This chapter seeks to examine the social, institutional, and political forces that affect the three realms mentioned above in relation to incarceration rates in the U.S.

Police Deviance, Corruption, and Control

Police deviance, corruption, and control fall under the institutional realm that has influenced incarceration rates in the U.S. Police deviance is perceived to constitute corruption, misconduct, and crime, that can broadly be categorized under individual and organizational factors. Under individual factors, research has identified self-control as a primary precursor to police deviance. Donner, Fridel, and Jennings (2016) examined the interrelationship between the Gottfredson and Hirschi’s self-control theories and police deviance. The results obtained from 101 participants evidenced the presence of self-control in self-reported prior misconduct and the probability to be incorporated in future misconduct. This is also mirrored in Donner and Jennings (2014).

From the organizational perspective, variables such as organization type and size influence police misconduct. This is reflected in Huff, White, and Decker (2018) that examined police misconduct across agencies. The findings illustrated that tribal agencies are associated with misconduct related to domestic violence and drug-related crimes. However, smaller agencies faced more misconduct allegations that revolved around supervisors. Last but not least, Bishopp, Worrall, and Piquero (2016) established the presence of a link between organizational stress and police misconduct. However, the results further established that deviance was determined by the distinct type of strain encountered.

Research also shows the existence of a relationship between police deviance environmental variables; in other words, the crime type. Eitle, D’Alessio, and Stolzenberg (2014) used the National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project (2009–2010) to examine the link between police organization, police misconduct, and environmental factors. The results identified violent crimes as the only environmental variable that promotes police deviance.

References

Baker, R. S. (2015). Effects of immigrant legalization on crime. The American Economic Review, 105(5), 210-213. Web.

Bishopp, S., Worrall, J., & Piquero, N. (2016). General strain and police misconduct: The role of organizational influence. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, 39(4), 635-651.

Bronson J., & Carson, E. (2019). Prisoners in 2017. NCJ 252156. [online] Bureau of Justice Statistics. Web.

Donner, C., & Jennings, W. (2014). Low self-control and police deviance: Applying Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory to officer misconduct. Police Quarterly, 17(3), 203-225.

Donner, C., Fridell, L., & Jennings, W. (2016). The relationship between self-control and police misconduct: A multi-agency study of first-line police supervisors. Criminal Justice and Behaviour, 43(7), 841-882.

Eitle, D., D’Alessio, S., & Stolzenberg, L. (2014). The effect of organizational and environmental factors on police misconduct. Police Quarterly, 17(2), 103-126.

Huff, J., White, M., & Decker, S. (2018). Organizational correlated of police deviance. Policing: An International Journal, 41(4), 465-481.

Ousey, C., & Kubrin, E. (2017). Immigration and crime: Assessing a contentious issue. Annual Review of Criminology, 1(1), 63-84. Web.

Click Here To Order Now!

Immigration, Hispanics, and Mass Incarceration in the U.S.

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)