Lady Justice has long been an icon of the American criminal justice system. His blindfold shows that justice should apply equally to everyone, regardless of appearance, race, age, or gender. His sword encourages the execution of justice while the scales he holds represent the idea that both parties (plaintiff and defendant) are clearly heard before a decision is made. However, Lady Justice often fails to get her job done. To better achieve Lady Justice's goals, people should begin to focus more on the ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who envisioned that all Americans should be offered the prospect of justice. However, fifty years after his speeches and letters, King's vision has yet to become reality. Too many people continue to feel failed and deceived by America's criminal justice system. Criminals find that their punishments do not fit their crime, while law-abiding citizens find that their taxpayers' money is being drained by an ineffective prison system. The segregation and injustice that occurs in American prisons must end. To pursue the goals of Lady Justice and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we need to incarcerate fewer criminals, while putting more of them into programs that help them get back on the right path. Many prisoners are in prison for juvenile and harmless offenses that are often committed in times of struggle and desperation. Unlike a few decades ago, the data in Table 1 shows how the criminal justice system has become increasingly concerned with the incarceration of suspects who have committed minor and misdemeanor crimes rather than major and more serious crimes. Over 85% of state and federal prisoners were incarcerated for violent and property crimes in... middle of paper......he_worlds_prison.htmlJames, DJ, & Glaze, L.E. (2006, September). Prison mental health problems (Rep.). Retrieved November 26, 2013, from the Bureau of Justice Statistics website: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mhppji.pdfKing, M.L., Jr. (n.d.). Letter from a prison in Birmingham [Letter written on 16 April 1963 to my dear brothers]. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.htmlProCon. (2013, February 21). Criminal population detained by type of crime committed, 1974-2010. Criminal vote. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from felonvoting.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004339&print=trueTorrey, E., MD, Kennard, AD, MPA, Eslinger, D., Lamb, R., MD, and Pavle, J (2010, May). There are more mentally ill people in jails and prisons than in hospitals: A survey of states. Retrieved November 26, 2013.