Diversity in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Diversity in Criminal Justice - Essay Example As a result, Arizona felt it had that right to to enhance existing federal provisions, openly enforce them, and add state misdemeanor charges to anyone found to be in violation of being in the country illegally. The law itself gave much more power to law enforcement personnel than was previously possible, which lead to much public outcry. One such provision was that individuals suspected of being an illegal immigrant could be stopped by a police officer, or other agent of the law, and asked to prove his or right to be in the state. Failure to provide such proof would be a misdemeanor in Arizona, and potentially result in federal prosecution as well. This, and several other provisions of the law, reflect a great divide in the criminal justice in America today and form the basis for this brief report. At the time that this particular bill was passed in Arizona in 2010, it was believed to be the strongest and strictest piece of immigration currently enacted to guard against illegal immigration. Part of what made the law so strong was the sweeping power that it gave to the police in their interaction with people within their jurisdiction. The law itself springs off a federal law that does require that any alien over the age of 14, and desiring to be in the country for longer 30 days, register with the federal government. Such registration provides individuals with a document that they are to have in their possession at all times, and failure to abide by this would result in being charge with a misdemeanor. Arizona added onto this law and made it a misdemeanor according to state law as well, which allowed local police the right to ascertain the immigration status of any individual stopped during a ‘lawful stop, detention, or arrest’. This right carried over to any lawfu l contact that the police might have with such an individual, regardless of