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Police brutality is the abuse of authority by the unwarranted infliction of excessive force by personnel involved in law enforcement while performing their official duties. In the United States, Native Americans (also known as American Indians, Amerindians, Indigenous Americans or simply Indians) experience disproportionately high amounts of violence from law enforcement. Native Americans ages 20-24, 25-34, and 35-44 are three of the five groups most likely to be killed by police (the others are blacks 20-24 and 25-34) making them more likely than any other racial group to be killed by police despite the fact that they only make up 1.2% of the population of the United States. Native Americans are 3.1 times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police.[1]
Native Americans are also incarcerated at disproportionately high rates. Native American women are admitted to prison at 4 times the rate of white men, and women are admitted at 6 times the rate. The number of Native Americans confined in jail is 4 times the national average and the number, per capita, confined to federal prisons is 38% above the national average[2][3]. Native American youth are also highly affected. 1% of United States youth are Native American, yet Native American youth make up 70% of youth committed to the Federal Bureau Prisons. Native American juveniles are also transferred to the adult system at 18.1 times the rate of white juveniles.[4] The rate at which Native Americans are over-criminalized and over-represented in incarceration rates is presented in two ways. The first is that they commit more crimes than whites and the second is that Native Americans are disparately treated by law enforcement officials and the judicial system.[5]
Causes[edit]
Police brutality is often associated with racial profiling. When differences in race, religion, or socioeconomic status exist between police and the citizenry, some police officers may view the population (or a particular subset thereof) as generally deserving of punishment. Portions of the population may perceive the police to be oppressors.[6] A 2001 study found that 30% of Native Americans agreed with the suggestion that police officers are honest (compared to 57% of whites and 15% of Black/African-Americans).[7] In addition, there is a perception that victims of police brutality often belong to relatively powerless groups, such as racial or cultural minorities, the disabled, and the poor.[6] The issue of police brutality against Native Americans has deeply-rooted, historic causes.
Native Americans experience psychological distress such as depression and PTSD more than twice as often as the general population. Access to mental health services for Native Americans is limited.[8] and ¼ of people killed by police from January to June in the 2016 were experiencing a mental health crisis. Native Americans made up half of those deaths.[1]
Advocacy[edit]
Native Lives Matter[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Woodard, Stephanie (October 2016). "THE MOVEMENT FOR NATIVE LIVES". In These Times Chicago. ProQuest 1823388680.
- ^ Hartney, Christopher; Vuong, Linh (March 2009). "Created Equal: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the US Criminal 2 Justice System" (PDF). National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
- ^ Donelan, Brenda (December 1999). "Unique Circumstances of Native American Juveniles Under Federal Supervision" (PDF). Federal Probation. 63: 68–71.
- ^ Cross, Terry (December 2009). "Native Americans and Juvenile Justice: A Hidden Tragedy". Poverty & Race.
- ^ Perry, Barbara (2009). Policing Race and Place in Indian Country: Over- and Under-enforcement. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0739116135.
- ^ a b "Police brutality in the United States". Wikipedia.
- ^ Taylor, Terrance (Summer 2001). "Coppin' an attitude: Attitudinal differences among juveniles toward police". Journal of Criminal Justice. 29: 295–305. doi:10.1016/S0047-2352(01)00089-7.
- ^ American Psychiatric Association. (2010). Mental health disparities: American Indians and Alaska Natives. Retrieved from http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/workforce/mental_health_disparities_american_indian_and_alaskan_natives.pdf