Punished: Impact of the Over-Policing/Under-Policing Paradox on Community Safety
In Punished, by Victor Rios, he challenges common narratives that explain “delinquent” behavior among young Black and Latinx youth. In this essay, you will develop your own argument using evidence from Punished and at least one other credible source.
Select one of the topics and write a well-developed essay in response:
1. In his study, Rios notes many instances of crime where the police “failed to intervene” (57). How does the over-policing/under-policing paradox that Rios describes affect the safety of communities that experience it?
2. The boys in Rios’s study all felt “personally responsible for their plight” as if “poverty, victimization, criminalization, and neglect were products of their own actions” (72). While Rios does not condone all of their choices, he argues that the boys were in fact denied a pipeline of opportunity. To what extent is Rios correct in his claim that the boys have been denied a pipeline of opportunity?
3. Rios suggests, “Patterns of behavior that are often misrecognized as ignorant, stupid, and self-defeating by authority figures, policymakers, and scholars are often young people’s attempt to use the resources provided by their environment to transform their social conditions” (104-105). To what extent do you agree with this statement, and how can these behaviors be addressed in a productive way?
4. Rios claims that “criminalization is embedded in Oakland’s social order, [...] it is a fabric of everyday life” (27). In response, he argues that we must create a “youth support complex” (162). In your opinion, what are the most critical elements of a system to support young people?
Remember that this is a reading-based essay, and the bulk of your evidence will come from Rios’s text. You must also include at least one additional source.
Essay Checklist
☐ An introduction that sets up the context or background for your essay
☐ A thesis statement at the end of the introduction
☐ A specific and arguable thesis statement
☐ Topic sentences that state the main point of each body paragraph
☐ Relevant support (specific examples or quotations) in each body paragraph
☐ Introduction, citation, and explanation of support
☐ A heading that contains your name, your instructor’s name, the name of the course, and the date (in the upper, left-hand corner of the first page)
☐ A creative title
☐ A Works Cited page
☐ MLA format – 12 point, Times New Roman or similar font, double-spaced
Essay Three
Your Name
Course and Section
Professor’s Name
April 23, 2023
In the compelling book Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys, author Victor Rios delves into the paradox of over-policing and under-policing in predominantly Black and Latinx communities. Through this exploration, he unveils the adverse effects of police tactics on the marginalization and criminalization of young people of color. Focusing on the experiences of young Black and Latino boys in Oakland, California, Rios conducts a profound investigation into their complex relationship with the criminal justice system, drawing from his personal experiences and extensive ethnographic research.
Accordingly, this essay will examine the impact of the over-policing/under-policing paradox on community safety, utilizing Rios' Punished and other credible sources as evidence. Rios exposes a striking dichotomy that endangers the well-being of the affected communities and perpetuates a cycle of violence and crime. This self-reinforcing cycle erodes public trust in law enforcement and restricts access to vital opportunities and resources, further exacerbating the situation.
The Over-policing Conundrum
One of the most dominant and persistent issues that have plagued current law enforcement efforts is the "over-policing" conundrum. Notably, the over-policing/under-policing conundrum is thought to have originated in the United States due to racial and socioeconomic inequality (Brunson). For example, unfair access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities is a legacy of institutional racism, residential segregation, and underinvestment in communities of color. As a result of this imbalance, some neighborhoods now see increasing crime rates, which are frequently combated with forceful policing tactics rather than addressing the root causes of crime and violence.
Additionally, this dilemma was raised in scholarly and policy debates in Victor Rios' book. Rios thoroughly examined the experiences of young Black and Latino guys subjected to frequent police and criminalization through intensive ethnographic research in Oakland, California. He claimed that Black and Latino boys are further marginalized and criminalized using these punitive social control techniques, creating a "youth control complex" where young people are entangled in a web of monitoring, punishment, and exclusion from society.
Another critical element that Rios highlighted was a dichotomy between over-policing and under policing that jeopardizes the communities' safety and feeds a cycle of violence and crime by weakening public confidence in law enforcement and limiting access to necessary opportunities and resources. Under-policing, on the other hand, is when law enforcement falls short in providing sufficient defense and intervention in the face of crime and violence, leaving communities exposed ("Home"). The instances of police inaction in criminal activity documented in the book and the disparate response to crime in communities of color compared to predominantly white neighborhoods provide evidence for this claim.
The paradox of excessive and insufficient policing makes safety issues in communities of color worse and restricts access to opportunities and resources. The phrase "over-policing/under-policing paradox" refers to a paradoxical scenario in which law enforcement simultaneously uses aggressive techniques and excessive surveillance in some communities while failing to safeguard the population and intervene adequately when necessary. This contradiction is widespread in places with a high concentration of Black and Latinx people, where inhabitants frequently deal with the harmful repercussions of excessive and insufficient enforcement. This is supported by the book's account of how fear of the police makes people reluctant to ask for help and how stigmatization of communities leads to ...