Minority recruitment in criminal justice

Abstract

Research on the recruitment of minorities to justice system careers typically focuses on the attitudes and behaviors of discriminating majorities. The attitudes of potential minority applicants and the particular situation of indigenous people remain largely unexplored in the literature. The research reported here focuses on the attitudes of Alaska Natives toward criminal justice careers. This article uses focus group data to identify and describe specific preferences and perceptions that constitute barriers to greater recruitment of Alaska Natives. These data contribute toward a more comprehensive model of minority recruitment by allowing us to understand minority employment in terms of both majority discrimination and the preferences of minorities.