Criminal Justice: The Central Park 5 and The Police

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Criminal Justice: The Central Park 5 and The Police

Jordan Matthews

CRJ 302 – Criminal Justice and Society

Dr. Amanda B. Reynolds

New York University

September 21, 2025

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Introduction

Juvenile delinquency is a pervasive social justice concern in the United States due to increased rates of petty crime, gang violence, illicit drug use, and recidivism. Across the world, criminal justice, government systems, and police forces have collaborated to address overlooked and emerging needs among youth delinquents to curb the incarceration rate and root causes. The United States is no stranger to juvenile delinquents due to the rise in urbanization, socioeconomic shifts, employment struggles, and educational limitations. According to Aazami et al. (2023), juvenile delinquency and arrests reached the 400,000 mark in 2020 because of cases such as assault, theft, and drug possession. The United States is known for having one of the highest rates of juvenile incarceration in the world, despite being a developed country. Based on studies, juvenile delinquents who were sentenced to imprisonment often faced drastic changes and challenges once they were released. Post-incarceration created more systemic gaps, such as education stoppage, gang violence, low employment rate, and recidivism every year. Delinquency may proceed to adulthood.

As emphasized by Young and Giller (2021), incarceration rates of people below 18 have been rising rapidly in the United States, affecting their future, family structure, community safety, and financial costs. However, the juvenile justice system in the United States is described as broken because of the inconsistencies, biases, and lack of strengthened responses toward criminal justice. Most of the time, policing practices in urban areas have resulted in questionable encounters between authorities and the youth. Based on Paez and Dierenfeldt (2019), community-oriented practices have been widely implemented in the country, as it was viewed as a collaboration between authorities, communities, and agencies. Community-oriented practices were supposed to sustain peace and order, protect the vulnerable, and protect the environment. However, Paez and Dierenfeldt (2019) highlighted that the policing model targets young individuals and groups rather than addressing them as part of a vulnerable community. Conflicts, biases, and misunderstandings often occur between police officers and juveniles in urban areas, which have become a pervasive social issue for decades. The lack of structure, questionable principles, and practices contributed to community mistrust, aggression, and unfair treatment toward juvenile groups. Studies have shown that juveniles are at risk for petty crimes and gangs, but they are also vulnerable to unlawful arrest, profiling, and victimization (Paez & Dierenfeldt, 2019).

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Police aggression, brutality, and partial practices have been documented across the United States, wherein the odds were on the side of people of color (Zeiders et al., 2021). African Americans and Hispanics were often profiled and encountered biases among authorities when it came to urban issues, community peace and order, and safety. Officers tend to discriminate against individuals based on color, affiliation, age, and education. Youth offenders who are non-Whites suffer from police profiling, unfair questioning, and arrest. Out-of-school youths are even more vulnerable to unethical practices since authorities base crime and investigation on educational status. For Jackson et al. (2020), police abuse and brutality have been embedded in the annals of America’s history because of the violence perpetrated in Black communities decades ago. Blacks and adolescent males often bore the brunt of involuntary police contact because of racial profiling and discriminatory attitudes. The disproportionate rates between Whites and Blacks have widened for decades.

The widely documented case of the Central Park 5 happened decades ago. However, a recent article by The Washington Post highlighted the flaws and injustices in the criminal justice system (Suddler, 2019). The infamous case took place in New York in 1989, wherein five teenagers, composed of African Americans and Latinos, were arrested and wrongfully convicted of assault. The assault involved a female jogger who fell into a comatose state after suffering from a brutal attack. It was a harrowing legal case that involved police discrimination, racial tension, partiality in decisions, weak policy, and a flawed justice system. The rushed judgment, pressure from the media, and racial segregation in New York contributed to the unfair treatment and trauma that affected the future of teenagers. As Suddler (2019) highlighted, teenagers were forced to confess to a crime they did not know about just because of their skin color and background. Wrongful convictions among people of color have been rampant for decades and still go overlooked in contemporary times.

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Research Statement

Determining factors for police response to juvenile delinquency, such as gender, race, socioeconomic factors, and external pressure, led to the wrongful conviction of the Central Park Five.

Juvenile Groups and Police

History

To understand the complex relationship between juveniles and police authorities, it is integral to immerse in historical foundations. Children are in a precarious life stage wherein they encounter vulnerabilities and life changes. Families and communities teach them the discipline to prevent them from going astray. In the early days, Bartollas and Miller (2017) explained that socialization was utilized as punishment and instruction for the younger population. In socialization, families, communities, and churches prescribed discipline. When urbanization increased, social control became inadequate to address the growing violence and street crime. Bartollas and Miller (2017) highlighted that police officers took the authority from families and communities to impose rules and disciplines that ranged from arrest to coercion. Force was utilized to discipline youth gangs, young criminals, and, unfortunately, minorities and migrants. In the early days of policing, authorities implemented discipline through harsh actions such as manhandling and beating.

Immigrants, minorities, and groups who survived plantation slavery were often the victims of police brutality, as per history. As explained by Taylor et al. (2019), historical perspectives shed light on the intricate relationship between juveniles and authorities that is transmitted to modern times. In history, enslaved people were treated as outcasts, and plantation owners viewed people of color with low regard. African Americans were stereotyped as illiterate, unreasonable, unproductive, and violent. The violence was connected to the uprising stirred by Black rebels to dismantle plantations. However, white communities viewed the rebellious act as a form of aggression and criminal offense that shaped the minds of authorities and how policies were constructed. In the past, to be African American was described as a setback, especially if the person was male and came from a low socioeconomic background. Taylor et al. (2019) underscored that the poor treatment of African Americans led to lesser academic and economic opportunities, power imbalances, and family struggles. The fixed impression of people of color created negative community connotations and interpretations. Based on Bartollas and Miller (2017), the police profession entailed disciplining youth groups to keep them away from danger. Still, the growing population and rate of urbanization posed challenges to the agencies. The late 1980s were trying times because of the proliferation of youth gangs and street crimes across cities.

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In an earlier article published by the U.S. Department of Justice, youth gangs in the 1980s created mass hysteria but also influenced the public to associate races with criminality, drugs, and violence (Howell & Decker, 1999). The public image of youth gangs, as magnified by the media, contributed to the unfair perceptions toward African Americans and Hispanics. Due to fear and media coverage, gang violence and drugs were pinned upon youths coming from the lower social strata, with poor education and struggling family relationships. To be disadvantaged meant a life of crime, drugs, and violence, which were associated with being Black and Hispanic. The mindset was observed among institutions and police officers who treated Blacks and Hispanics in a negative light. Howell and Decker (1999) noted that not all gangs utilized illicit drugs and violent actions. Bartollas and Miller (2017) highlighted that Scott Decker’s report, published in 1981, underscored that youth groups had low trust toward authorities because of racial discrimination, questionable quality of policing, and observations in the community. However, policing became more drastic because of society’s predisposition toward suspicion. Based on Minhas and Walsh (2021), police officers utilized suspicion apart from profiling youth gangs and offenders. Stop and search capabilities incorporated ‘cognitive scripts’ that were formed from stereotyping based on physical appearance, age bracket, and socioeconomic status. It means to say that being Black, male, and coming from a struggling background raised the alarms among police officers. The use of cognitive scripts and suspicions influenced regular people to treat juvenile groups the same way as police officers. Community members not part of the minority groups corroborated with officers during stops and searches. The collaboration between police officers and white communities led to more disproportionality in stops and searches. The unfair practice singled out youth minorities and emphasized the negative perception toward African Americans and Hispanics. Classification through socioeconomic group and racial background became prevalent in white-dominated countries.

The 1980s and Wrongful Conviction

Unaddressed police practices and racial profiling led to intense discrimination and abuse of power among authorities. According to Howell and Griffiths (2018), youth gangs in urban areas like New York were surrounded by myths and realities that shaped public perception and immediate verdicts. Youth gangs were widely depicted and sensationalized by media giants, which created fear and an incapacity to understand the nature of youth gangs. Based on the media, youth gangs were composed of male teenagers who revelled in street violence, vandalism, alcohol and drugs, and illicit sexual behavior. The myths influenced the non-separation of facts from fiction that inflicted hurt on impartiality and justice toward youth minorities. As emphasized by Swaner (2022), the 1980s were considered difficult times for youth gangs living in New York due to discourses that only focused on individuality and psychology and omitted sociological contexts. Managing violence created anti-gang policies and social controls that increased the odds of African Americans and Hispanics.

The infamous case that involved five youth minorities living in New York caught the attention of the media and the public. In a book review by Gruenewald (2015), the accusation, unfair treatment, and wrongful conviction were influenced by powerful forces that shaped perception, race, media, and Central Park. Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise were minors when they got rounded up by police officers on suspicion of sexual assault and battery of a Central Park jogger. Because of their background, they did not stand a chance against immediate arrest, coercion, and false confessions that pinned them down. The media sensationalized the case, enraging the public or dividing societal opinion. The brutal attack on a female jogger in the vicinity of Central Park sparked national interest as everyone was out for blood. As written by Gruenewald (2015), police intimidation, silence, manipulation, and false confession sentenced five teenagers to imprisonment for several years.

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They suffered from trauma, outright judgment, and a lack of social justice since law enforcement utilized racial background and socioeconomic status to cement the case. Media giants covered the case but did not have a keen eye for details to question the irregularities of how authorities handled the situation.

The use of brutality and coercion during arrest was considered unethical in police standards and practices. As per Johnson (2005), the Central Park Five symbolized the moral decay, partiality, and flawed criminal justice system in the United States. It was as if people were living in the old times as police officers employed brute force and manipulation to make the suspects confess to a crime they did not commit. Law enforcement got carried away with their ideals and desire to implement social order against crimes. However, the secrecy and manipulation of evidence indicated abuse of power and authority. In interrogation, the norm pertained to a fair and objective process. However, the rights were taken away from the teenagers. In social history, leaders in colonial times inflicted torture during interrogation that led to the development of clinical symptoms and psychological trauma among those who were arrested. In the 1980s, police brutality and mass incarceration had increased in number, and disproportionality widened. Authorities were given the green light to conduct a thorough investigation, apprehension, and questioning due to rampant violence and crime in urbanized spaces. Johnson (2005) noted that the United States was preoccupied with the concept of crime and the proliferation of a principle that treated criminals as lowly beings. The powers vested in law enforcers created a void in the criminal justice system wherein being a criminal was synonymous with skin color and social status. For them, suspects were already branded as criminals despite the ongoing cases. The case of the female jogger became more sensationalized because she is white and worked as an investment banker (Johnson, 2005). The severity of the crime led to the arrest, interrogation, and publicized trials of five teenagers between the ages of 14 and 16. They never stood a chance against the authorities and media giants because the victim suffered from amnesia. The lack of physical evidence did not deter the authorities from pinning the blame on the minors.

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Fueled by Media and Public Scrutiny

The media is a powerful element in social interaction and public opinion. Headlines and updates graced the television screens, radios, and newspapers to raise awareness among the public. The media was supposed to be an ally of truth and justice. Still, at the height of the Central Park Five, it fueled the fire by empowering the police officers and confusing the public with concocted terminologies. Based on Welch, Price, and Yankey (2004), the racial stereotype was very evident during the arrest, interrogation, and trial of the Central Park Five. The media extensively covered the case, and because the public consumed criminality and truth, journalists created statements and words that hurt the chances of the Central Park Five turning the tide in their favor. As highlighted by Welch, Price, and Yankey (2004), the New York City press coined the term ‘wilding’ to describe the suspects who committed a heinous act on an innocent jogger. The usage of the term wilding was synonymous with the slanderous statements hurled toward minorities. The media stylized various descriptions and words to engage their readers and shape public opinion. The media intensified the public demand for truth, accountability, and justice toward the jogger. As a result, law enforcement became more prejudiced and abusive in getting the facts out of the minors despite the lack of evidence.

To highlight the fire that strengthened the law enforcement’s abuse of authority and public opinion, the media published 400 articles in two weeks with terms such as ‘wolfpack’ and ‘superpredator’ (Bartley, 2023). Recently, the wrongfully accused Raymond Santana posted on his social media account that the media was a powerful force that limited their chances to obtain a voice and a fair trial. The media damaged its reputation beyond repair as it continued to publish brutal details and disparaging remarks without waiting for court results and updates from the officers. Stratton (2015) highlighted that media narratives, interviews, typology, photography, and lack of accountability conflicted with the case. The media created a trial by publicity that skewed information and hid the brutality and alteration of law enforcers. The media’s presence drove the authorities to solve the case in less time. The teenagers failed to get public support since the police authorities manipulated the process due to the belief that they were the masterminds behind the sexual assault and battery.

The media painted them in a bad light, and this was where the police officers became more motivated to solve the case and grant justice to the aggrieved party. Toussaint (2020) explained that race was an essential factor that became a breeding ground for subjectivity, skewed opinion, and biased perception. The alarming rise of crimes and gang wars in New York forced police authorities to violate standards and norms in favor of public protection and interest. However, Toussaint (2020) underscored that the law enforcers did not see the repercussions of their decision to take away the rights and liberties of the Central Park Five to gain a fair trial. As a result, the Central Park Five languished behind bars as their youth and dignity were stolen by those in power. Society’s inability to understand sociological contexts and structures led to false accusations and convictions. In one factor affecting police response to juvenile cases, Bartollas and Miller (2017) highlighted external pressure as a strong influence that led to disparity and bias. Apart from racial profiling and suspicion, police authorities were viewed as defenders of safety, stability, and freedom across the country. The media and public closely followed their skills and legitimacy in conducting investigations. The strain made them unable to think objectively to foster a fair trial and judgment.

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Skewed System

The government has invested in peace and order by supporting the intensive training of law enforcers. However, police officers were empowered by solving criminal cases and imposing discipline in various communities to the point of disregarding culture and racial sensitivity. As McLean et al. (2022) highlighted, policies, practices, strategies, and implementations were being questioned regarding their efficacy in responding to fairness and human rights. The usage of force during apprehension and interrogation remains a pervasive debate despite the exoneration and lessons learned from the Central Park Five decades ago. In modern times, African Americans still took the brunt of forceful arrest, examination, and detainment. Youth gangs and minorities still experience living under the scrutinizing lens of authorities due to their family and economic background. Incarceration rates managed to dip, but the disproportion between minorities and whites is significant. McLean et al. (2022) pinpointed that the lack of dynamic response and sustained action was associated with weak public policy, lack of accountability, systemic racism, and bureaucracy. Part of the recommendation was to work on the following: (1) change of policy, (2) training and hiring of diverse law enforcers, (3) creation of internal and external mechanisms, (4) transparency, and (5) collaboration with the community.

Conclusion

Equitable treatment of youth groups still has a long way to go. The Central Park Five is a concrete example of how the criminal justice system is preoccupied with solving cases without understanding social contexts and barriers. Years, futures, and dreams were taken away from the Central Park Five because of unfair practices within the law enforcement ranks. The root cause is society’s biased perception and racial profiling of youth as a means of discipline and social order. The tragedy and vindication of the Central Park Five leave an essential lesson about impartiality, racial diversity, ethical treatment, and fair process. The system cannot base criminality on skin color and socioeconomic background, as they are considered unfair bases for promoting peace and order. New policies, officer training, and continuous dialogue must take precedence to prevent endangering the lives of youth.

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References

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