Race and Crime: Systemic Issues and Reforms Training Course

Race and Crime: Systemic Issues and Reforms Training Course

Course Introduction

Systemic racism and its impact on the criminal justice system remain among the most pressing civil rights issues of our time. Race and Crime: Systemic Issues and Reforms Training Course is designed to explore how structural inequalities, racial profiling, mass incarceration, and biased policing practices contribute to racial disparities in justice outcomes. Through a comprehensive, data-driven, and historical lens, this course equips learners with actionable insights and solutions to drive equitable reforms.

Participants will engage with landmark case studies, cutting-edge research, and real-world applications to understand the intersection of race and criminal justice. With a strong emphasis on racial equity, reform strategies, social justice advocacy, and community engagement, the training promotes a deeper understanding of institutional racism and offers tools for transformative change within law enforcement, legal frameworks, and public policy.

Course Objectives

1. Understand the historical roots of racial disparities in criminal justice.
2. Analyze the concept of systemic racism and its influence on policing.
3. Evaluate data on racial profiling, arrest rates, and incarceration trends.
4. Critically examine high-profile cases involving racial injustice.
5. Identify patterns of implicit bias in law enforcement and sentencing.
6. Develop reform strategies aimed at promoting racial equity.
7. Investigate the role of media in shaping perceptions of race and crime.
8. Compare international models of justice and racial equality.
9. Explore legislative and community-based reform movements.
10. Foster inclusive policy design and racial impact assessments.
11. Assess the effectiveness of restorative justice in racially biased systems.
12. Apply intersectional approaches to race, gender, and criminal justice.
13. Empower community advocacy for systemic reform and accountability.

Target Audiences

1. Law enforcement officers
2. Criminal justice professionals
3. Legal practitioners and public defenders
4. Government and policy advisors
5. Social justice advocates
6. University students in criminology or sociology
7. Educators and academic researchers
8. Nonprofit and civil rights organization staff

Course Duration: 10 days

Course Modules

Module 1: Historical Context of Race & Crime

• Origins of racialized criminal narratives
• Slavery, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow laws
• The criminalization of Black and Brown communities
• Colonialism, immigration, and criminal justice
• Legacy of racially-biased policies
• Case Study: The War on Drugs and its racial implications

Module 2: Understanding Systemic Racism

• Definitions and manifestations of systemic racism
• Structural barriers in policing and courts
• Institutional vs. interpersonal racism
• Redlining, segregation, and their long-term effects
• Critical Race Theory fundamentals
• Case Study: Ferguson and the Department of Justice Report

Module 3: Racial Profiling & Policing Practices

• Stop-and-frisk and predictive policing
• Implicit bias in law enforcement
• Racial disparities in police encounters
• Technology and surveillance in over-policed communities
• Data on arrests by race
• Case Study: NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Program

Module 4: Mass Incarceration & Sentencing Inequity

• Racial disparities in sentencing
• Mandatory minimums and three-strikes laws
• Privatization of prisons and racial outcomes
• Juvenile justice and racial bias
• Prison-industrial complex overview
• Case Study: Racial disparities in drug offense sentencing

Module 5: Media Representations of Race & Crime

• Racialized imagery in news and entertainment
• Impact of media bias on public perception
• Agenda-setting theory and crime reporting
• Digital misinformation and racial narratives
• Ethical journalism and racial justice
• Case Study: Central Park Five media coverage

Module 6: Judicial Bias & Legal System Inequities

• Racial disparities in jury selection
• Public defense and access to representation
• Discretionary power of judges and prosecutors
• Bail reform and pretrial detention disparities
• Colorblind law vs. racially conscious reform
• Case Study: Kalief Browder and systemic failure

Module 7: School-to-Prison Pipeline

• Discriminatory discipline practices
• Zero-tolerance policies and racial outcomes
• Policing in schools and minority youth
• Educational inequality and criminalization
• Community-based educational justice
• Case Study: Los Angeles Unified School District discipline policies

Module 8: Immigration, Race & Criminalization

• Criminalization of immigration status
• ICE practices and racial profiling
• Detention conditions and racial narratives
• Intersection of race, nationality, and crime
• Racial scapegoating in immigration policy
• Case Study: Arizona SB1070 law enforcement practices

Module 9: Mental Health, Disability & Race in Criminal Justice

• Racial disparities in mental health services in prisons
• Criminalization of neurodivergent behaviors
• Police response and race-disability intersections
• Culturally competent crisis intervention
• De-escalation techniques and racial bias
• Case Study: Walter Wallace Jr. mental health response

Module 10: Reform Movements & Advocacy

• Black Lives Matter and racial justice
• Policy recommendations from advocacy groups
• Grassroots vs. institutional reform
• Coalition building for legislative change
• Community organizing and justice reform
• Case Study: Campaign Zero’s 10-point plan

Module 11: Restorative & Transformative Justice

• Restorative justice principles
• Community healing and racial trauma
• Alternatives to incarceration
• Indigenous justice models
• Measuring outcomes of restorative programs
• Case Study: Oakland’s restorative justice program

Module 12: Global Comparisons: Race & Criminal Justice

• Policing in multicultural societies
• Truth and reconciliation commissions
• Global abolition movements
• International human rights frameworks
• Comparative policy analysis
• Case Study: South Africa’s post-apartheid reforms

Module 13: Intersectionality in Justice Reform

• Race, gender, and LGBTQ+ criminalization
• Intersectional sentencing and policing outcomes
• Case law on intersectional identity
• Feminist criminology and racial justice
• Building inclusive reform coalitions
• Case Study: Breonna Taylor and gendered racial violence

Module 14: Role of Technology & AI in Racialized Justice

• Algorithmic bias in sentencing software
• AI surveillance and race
• Data-driven policing tools and equity concerns
• Digital privacy and racial profiling
• Accountability in tech-driven reforms
• Case Study: COMPAS risk assessment tool bias

Module 15: Designing Solutions & Future Justice Systems

• Community-based policy design
• Equity audits and racial impact statements
• Engaging policymakers with racial equity tools
• Data equity and transparency laws
• Civic engagement and racial literacy training
• Case Study: Oregon’s Racial Equity Toolkit in law reform

Training Methodology

• Interactive lectures with multimedia content
• Guided discussions and breakout group analysis
• Real-life case study reviews
• Role-playing simulations and scenario analysis
• Expert guest speakers and panels
• Pre/post assessments and reflection activities

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104 

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

 We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.

b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate

c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.

d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.

e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.

f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.