In wake of the 2020 protests throughout America, a new debate has opened up in the criminal justice system: should cultural diversity training be implemented? Accusations of racism are all-too-common for correctional staff. “Traditionally, cultural diversity training in corrections stressed sensitivity to people of different ethnic and race groups and the duty to avoid racial profiling.” There needs to be more thorough and comprehensive training beyond just this.
Four goals exist when it comes to implementing better cultural diversity training in the criminal justice system:
- Understand the many race/ethnic groups represented in our offender populations.
- Apply the concepts of culture and diversity to the field of corrections.
- Learn effective ways to manage offenders from different ethnic and race groups.
- Understand how to avoid racial tension inside a correctional facility.
When it comes to prison populations themselves, the racial makeup is as follows (as of 2020):
- White: 47.7%
- Black: 35.1%
- Hispanic (Latino): 14.9%
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 1.2%
- Asian: 0.7%
- Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
- Two or more races: 0.3%
When it comes to the definition of “culture,” “culture is defined as beliefs, habits, attitudes, values, patterns of thinking, behavior and everyday customs that have been passed on from generation to generation. Culture is learned, not inherited.[2] In a correctional facility, the culture of inmates may include their views of law enforcement, attitudes toward certain types of crime or types of offenders, and beliefs about rehabilitation.” For example:
- Eye contact: In some cultures, the lack of eye contact means respect.
- Facial expressions: Some cultures are more expressive of emotion and stress; others are more subdued or internalize stress.
- Distance: Americans, especially in law enforcement, like distance when we are speaking to someone. In some cultures, people prefer speaking to others at close distances.
- Gestures: Gestures that are innocent and friendly to one group can be offensive to another. Beckoning “come here” by curling the index finger with palm up may be offensive in the Asian and Latin American cultures. The meanings of gestures can also evolve quickly. In 2019, the Anti-Defamation League listed the “OK” hand gesture as a symbol of hate — although many of us grew up using it with no other meaning than, “all is well.”
- Body language: Parts of the body may evoke strong feelings. For instance, in many cultures, showing the soles of the feet is offensive, as feet are considered a dirty part of the body.
Therefore, all of these intricacies must be investigated further and better implemented within the correctional system.
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