She hammers away at the racism inherent in the US criminal justice system with example after example. And it also seems evident that we live in an apartheid state. These two books, taken together, paint a bleak and terrifying picture of our criminal justice system. But both authors, in their thorough and convincing analysis, point the way forward. Russell sets up a series of basic principles which she calls the fairness principles.
Criminal penalties apply to everyone, regardless of the race of the offender.
Criminal penalties apply to everyone, regardless of the race of the victim. The race of the offender is not relevant in determining whether his actions constitute a crime. The offender's actions would have been considered criminal, even if he were another race. The race of the victim is not relevant in determining whether the offender's action constitutes a crime. There are checks and balances that mitigate against racial bias within the legal system.