Summary Of 13th By Av Duvernay

Ava Duvernay's documentary "13th" does a great job of capturing the problems with the criminal justice system in North America. It draws attention to problems with excessive minority representation and racial injustices in the system. This paper will examine the central issue and main message explored in the documentary "13th". It will also explore my initial reaction to the film and whether any specific case or facts challenged my pre-existing views on the prison system. Additionally, a comparative analysis will be conducted between the intersection of race, crime, and criminal justice in Canada and what is presented in "13th". The paper will conclude with a personal assessment of the argument proposed in the film that there is a direct connection

The criminal justice system is utilized as a means to maintain oppression of Black people even after slavery was abolished. Through minor offenses and possession of even small amounts of drugs, Black people are often subjected to long periods of incarceration. This serves as a way to enforce labor without slavery. The documentary aims to highlight the fact that the legacy of slavery and racial oppression continues to exist in the United States through the criminal justice system. According to Owusu-Bempah and Wortley's "Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Canada," “Aboriginal and black Canadians, are grossly overrepresented in Canada’s correctional institutions. Further evidence indicates that racial bias does exist in the administration of Canadian criminal justice, and, at times, this discrimination has been supported by court decisions” (Owusu-Bempah & Wortley, 2014, p. 2). The fact that Indigenous and Black Canadians are overrepresented in correctional institutions demonstrates that the issue of overrepresentation depicted in "13th" is not limited to the United States but is a current concern in Canada. It is crucial that systemic racism in Canada is not overlooked and is approached with the same level of significance as it is in the United

More precisely, in Canada, Aboriginals and Black individuals are overrepresented, while in the United States, the same applies to the Black community. According to the reading "Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Canada," the statement is supported by the fact that “The extent to which blacks and Aboriginals are overrepresented in Canadian correctional institutions is similar to that of African Americans in the United States” (Owusu-Bempah & Wortley, 2014, p. 2). Although Canada and the USA share some similarities in their criminal justice systems, there is one significant difference. The US system is influenced by its history of slavery, as highlighted in the "13th" documentary. One example of this is the exploitation of Black labor through the criminal justice system's prison labor programs, which is permitted by the US Constitution's 13th Amendment that banned slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a form of punishment for a