In The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander argues that racial profiling in policing is indeed a widespread problem in today's society. She cites racial profiling within the police as a contributing factor to the continued mass incarceration of African Americans and reflecting the existence of a racial caste system. The fact that police have such discretion, as Alexander points out in several drug war-related cases that have significantly increased police discretion, gives law enforcement the power to decide who target and how to approach them. While it may seem reasonable that police have some degree of discretion, it also points out that this power often leads to unfair racial discrimination caused by people's implicit racial biases and stereotypes perpetuated by the public. The issue of police discretion, coupled with racial bias, has created the situation today in which the mass incarceration of African Americans continues to take place. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay In the name of the fight against drugs, police have since gained wide latitude over who they wish to stop and search, because the courts believe that greater power given to the police will allow them to better arrest drug offenders. But, as Alexander points out, the police, in reality, simply stop and arrest people at random. For example, even minor traffic violations, such as speeding, can be used as an excuse by police to search an individual's vehicle for drugs. While it may seem right for the police to carry out their duty to arrest those who have broken the law, the fact that they have such discretion also means that they can search virtually anyone they want. choice if she follows it long enough to witness any sort of technical mishap. traffic offense. Furthermore, what comes after being wrongfully stopped and searched is the unfair trial that many people can be expected to experience. This is especially the case for low-income people who cannot afford good lawyers and people of color who often do not have the ability to demand better treatment. Even if we know that the vast majority of these voluntary stops and searches turn out to be false, the sheer number of victims searched by the police means that these searches will still result in a significant number of arrests and convictions, which which in turn will incite the police. continue such a cycle of unjust behavior. Aside from the fact that police have great discretion, the bigger problem is that African Americans have so often become the targets of these unfair stops and searches because of the racial bias so prevalent within the police. Alexander points out that, especially in cases involving drug crime, police are more likely to use their racial biases and stereotypes to identify potential drug criminals. Since most Americans have used drugs at some point in their lives and it is simply not possible for police to arrest the majority of drug users, they must choose who to prosecute for crimes linked to drug use. With the discretion the police have, they can decide who gets put in jail first. Their target ended up being the?