Uneven Justice: State Rates of Incarceration By Race and Ethnicity, Sentencing Project, 2007
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Uneven Justice: State Rates of Incarceration By Race and Ethnicity Marc Mauer and Ryan S. King July 2007 For further information: The Sentencing Project 514 10th St. NW Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20004 (202) 628-0871 www.sentencingproject.org This report was written by Marc Mauer, Executive Director, and Ryan S. King, Policy Analyst, respectively, of The Sentencing Project. The Sentencing Project is a national non-profit organization engaged in research and advocacy on criminal justice policy issues. Support for the organization has been provided by the Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation, Ford Foundation, Gimbel Foundation, Herb Block Foundation, JEHT Foundation, Jewish Funds for Justice, Open Society Institute, Public Welfare Foundation, Sandler Family Supporting Foundation, The Starfish Group, Wallace Global Fund, and individual donors. The Sentencing Project works for a fair and effective criminal justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing law and practice and alternatives to incarceration. To these ends, it seeks to recast the public debate on crime and punishment. Copyright © 2007 by The Sentencing Project. Reproduction of this document in full or part in print or electronic format only by permission of The Sentencing Project. INTRODUCTION Since the early 1970s the prison and jail population in the United States has increased at an unprecedented rate. The more than 500% rise in the number of people incarcerated in the nation’s prisons and jails has resulted in a total of 2.2 million people behind bars. This growth has been accompanied by an increasingly disproportionate racial composition, with particularly high rates of incarceration for African Americans, who now constitute 900,000 of the total 2.2 million incarcerated population. The exponential increase in the use of incarceration has had modest success at best in producing public safety,1 while contributing to family disruption and the weakening of informal social controls in many African American communities. Overall, data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics document that one in six black men had been incarcerated as of 2001. If current trends continue, one in three black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during his lifetime.2 The prevalence of imprisonment for women is considerably lower than for men, but many of the same racial disparities persist, with black women being more likely to be incarcerated than white women.3 While the disproportionate rate of incarceration for African Americans has been well documented for some time, a significant development in the past decade has been the growing proportion of the Hispanic population entering 1 See, for example, Ryan S. King, Marc Mauer, and Malcolm C. Young, Incarceration and Crime: A Complex Relationship, The Sentencing Project, 2005. 2 Thomas P. Bonczar, Prevalence of Imprisonment in the U.S. Population, 1974-2001, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003, p. 8. 3 See, for example, The Sentencing Project, Women in the Criminal Justice System, May 2007. PAGE 2 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY prisons and jails.4 In 2005, Hispanics comprised 20% of the state and federal prison population, a rise of 43% since 1990.5 As a result of these trends, one of every six Hispanic males and one of every 45 Hispanic females born today can expect to go to prison in his or her lifetime.6 These rates are more than double those for non-Hispanic whites. While these national figures are disturbing, they mask the extreme state-level variations in the impact of incarceration on communities of color. This report examines racial and ethnic dynamics of incarceration by state and highlights new information that extends the findings of previous analyses7 by including data on jail populations and the impact of incarceration on the Hispanic community.8 4 Hispanic is considered an ethnic category that is exclusive with the racial categories of black and white. We use the term “Hispanic” rather than “Latino” to follow BJS terminology. 5 Louis W. Jankowski, Correctional Populations in the United States, 1990, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1992, p. 86; Paige M. Harrison and Allen J. Beck, Prisoners in 2005, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006, p. 8. 6 Bonczar, supra note 2. 7 See, among others: Alfred Blumstein, “Racial Disproportionality of U.S. Prison Populations Revisited,” University of Colorado Law Review, Vol. 64, No. 3, 1993; Michael Tonry, “Racial Disproportions in US Prisons,” British Journal of Criminology, Vol. 34, 1994; Marc Mauer, “Intended and Unintended Consequences: State Racial Disparities in Imprisonment,” The Sentencing Project, January 1997; Jamie Fellner, “Punishment and Prejudice: The Racial Costs in the War on Drugs,” Human Rights Watch, May 2000. 8 Data for Native Americans, Asian Americans, and other racial groups are not available for analysis. PAGE 3 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY Highlights of this analysis include: • • • • • African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six (5.6) times the rate of whites; Hispanics are incarcerated at nearly double (1.8) the rate of whites; States exhibit substantial variation in the ratio of black-to-white incarceration, ranging from a high of 13.6-to-1 in Iowa to a low of 1.9-to-1 in Hawaii; States with the highest black-to-white ratio are disproportionately located in the Northeast and Midwest, including the leading states of Iowa, Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Wisconsin. This geographic concentration is true as well for the Hispanic-to-white ratio, with the most disproportionate states being Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire, and New Jersey; and, States exhibiting high Black or Hispanic ratios of incarceration compared to whites fall into two categories: 1) those such as Wisconsin and Vermont which have high rates of black incarceration and average rates of white incarceration; and, 2) states such as New Jersey and Connecticut which have average rates of black incarceration and below-average rates of white incarceration. In both cases, the ratio of incarceration by race is higher than average. PAGE 4 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY NATIONAL PICTURE: SUBSTANTIAL RACIAL DISPARITY The American prison and jail system is defined by an entrenched racial disparity in the population of incarcerated people. The national incarceration rate for whites is 412 per 100,000 residents, compared to 2,290 for African Americans, and 742 for Hispanics.9 These figures mean that 2.3% of all African Americans are incarcerated, compared to 0.4% of whites and 0.7% of Hispanics. TABLE 1 – Racial Racial and Ethnic Rates of Incarceration RACIAL/ETHNIC GROUP RATE PER 100,000 White 412 Black 2,290 Hispanic 742 While these overall rates of incarceration are all at record highs, they fail to reflect the concentrated impact of incarceration among young African American males in particular, many of whom reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods. One in nine (11.7%) African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 is currently incarcerated in a prison or jail. 10 Moreover, the uneven geographic distribution of incarceration in communities of color means that the effects of this situation radiate beyond the individual to the 9 Except as otherwise noted, all incarceration data presented in this report are from Paige M. Harrison and Allen J. Beck, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006, p. 11 10 William J. Sabol, Todd D. Minton, and Paige M. Harrison, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2006, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2007, p. 9 PAGE 5 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY broader community. For example, criminologists James Lynch and William Sabol found that three percent of a single Ohio county’s census block groups11 comprised 20% of the state prison population.12 This concentration among young males presents profound long-term consequences for employment prospects, family formation, and general quality of life. SIGNIFICANT STATE VARIATION IN RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE As is true for overall rates of incarceration, so too do racial and ethnic rates of incarceration vary significantly by state, as seen in Table 2. In addition to crime rates, the discretion of policymakers and practitioners in decisions related to arrest, conviction, sentencing, and severity of statutory punishment all play a key role in determining state rates of imprisonment. Moreover, it underscores the importance of where, and for what offense, a person has been convicted. 11 Census block groups represent between 1,000 and 3,000 residents. 12 James P. Lynch and William J. Sabol, Prisoner Reentry in Perspective, The Urban Institute, 2001, p. 16. PAGE 6 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY TABLE 2 -- Prison & Jail Incarceration Rates, 2005 Rate of Incarceration Incarceration per 100,000 Population State White Black Hispanic State White Black Hispanic Alabama 542 1916 / Missouri 487 2556 587 Alaska 500 2163 380 Montana 433 3569 846 Arizona 590 3294 1075 NATIONAL 412 2290 742 Arkansas 478 1846 288 Nebraska 290 2418 739 California 460 2992 782 Nevada 627 2916 621 Colorado 525 3491 1042 New Hampshire 289 2666 1063 Connecticut 211 2532 1401 New Jersey 190 2352 630 Delaware 396 2517 683 New York 174 1627 778 District of Columbia 56 1065 267 North Carolina 320 1727 / Florida 588 2615 382 North Dakota 267 2683 848 Georgia 623 2068 576 Ohio 344 2196 613 Hawaii 453 851 185 Oklahoma 740 3252 832 Idaho 675 2869 1654 Oregon 502 2930 573 Illinois 223 2020 415 Pennsylvania 305 2792 1714 Indiana 463 2526 579 Rhode Island 191 1838 631 Iowa 309 4200 764 South Carolina 415 1856 476 Kansas 443 3096 / South Dakota 470 4710 / Kentucky 561 2793 757 Tennessee 487 2006 561 Louisiana 523 2452 244 Texas 667 3162 830 Maine 262 1992 / Utah 392 3588 838 Maryland 288 1579 / Vermont 304 3797 / Massachusetts 201 1635 1229 Virginia 396 2331 487 Michigan 412 2262 397 Washington 393 2522 527 Minnesota 212 1937 / West Virginia 392 2188 211 Mississippi 503 1742 611 Wisconsin 415 4416 / * Incarceration rates based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005. New Mexico and Wyoming have been excluded due to lack of data on race and ethnicity. PAGE 7 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY Table 3 shows that the black rate of incarceration ranges from a high of 4,710 per 100,000 (4.7% of the population) in South Dakota to a low of 851 (0.85% of the population) in Hawaii. Comparing the rates of incarceration for African Americans (Table 3) with those for whites (Table 4) reveals profound patterns of racial disparity. For example, the state with the lowest rate of incarceration for African Americans – Hawaii, at 851 per 100,000 population – maintains a rate 15% higher than the state with the highest rate for whites – Oklahoma, at 740 per 100,000 population. While more than 1% of African Americans in 49 states and the District of Columbia are incarcerated, there is not a single state in the country with a rate of incarceration that high for whites. PAGE 8 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY TABLE 3 -- Prison & Jail Incarceration Rates, 2005, By BLACK BLACK Incarceration Rate Rate of Incarceration per 100,000 Population State White BLACK Hispanic State White BLACK Hispanic South Dakota 470 4710 / Louisiana 523 2452 244 Wisconsin 415 4416 / Nebraska 290 2418 739 Iowa 309 4200 764 New Jersey 190 2352 630 Vermont 304 3797 / Virginia 396 2331 487 Utah 392 3588 838 NATIONAL 412 2290 742 Montana 433 3569 3569 846 Michigan 412 2262 397 Colorado 525 3491 1042 Ohio 344 2196 613 Arizona 590 3294 1075 West Virginia 392 2188 211 Oklahoma 740 3252 832 Alaska 500 2163 380 Texas 667 3162 830 Georgia 623 2068 576 Kansas 443 3096 / Illinois 223 2020 415 California 460 2992 782 Tennessee 487 2006 561 Oregon 502 2930 573 Maine 262 1992 / Nevada 627 2916 621 Minnesota 212 1937 / Idaho 675 2869 1654 Alabama 542 1916 / Kentucky 561 2793 757 South Carolina 415 1856 476 Pennsylvania 305 2792 1714 Arkansas 478 1846 288 North Dakota 267 2683 848 Rhode Island 191 1838 631 New Hampshire 289 2666 1063 Mississippi 503 1742 611 Florida 588 2615 382 North Carolina 320 1727 / Missouri 487 2556 587 Massachusetts 201 1635 1229 Connecticut 211 2532 1401 New York 174 1627 778 Indiana 463 2526 579 Maryland 288 1579 / Washington 393 2522 527 District of Columbia 56 1065 267 Delaware 396 2517 683 Hawaii 453 851 185 * Incarceration rates based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005. New Mexico and Wyoming have been excluded due to lack of data on race and ethnicity. PAGE 9 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY Table 4 -- Prison & Jail Incarceration Rates, 2005, 2005, By WHITE Incarceration Rates Rate of Incarceration per 100,000 Population State WHITE Black Hispanic State WHITE Black Hispanic Oklahoma 740 3252 832 NATIONAL 412 2290 742 Idaho 675 2869 1654 Michigan 412 2262 397 Texas 667 3162 830 Delaware 396 2517 683 Nevada 627 2916 621 Virginia 396 2331 487 Georgia 623 2068 576 Washington 393 2522 527 Arizona 590 3294 1075 Utah 392 3588 838 Florida 588 2615 382 West Virginia 392 2188 211 Kentucky 561 2793 757 Ohio 344 2196 613 Alabama 542 1916 / North Carolina 320 1727 / Colorado 525 3491 1042 Iowa 309 4200 764 Louisiana 523 2452 244 Pennsylvania 305 2792 1714 Mississippi 503 1742 611 Vermont 304 3797 / Oregon 502 2930 573 Nebraska 290 2418 739 Alaska 500 2163 380 New Hampshire 289 2666 1063 Missouri 487 2556 587 Maryland 288 1579 / Tennessee 487 2006 561 North Dakota 267 2683 848 Arkansas 478 1846 288 Maine 262 1992 / South Dakota 470 4710 / Illinois 223 2020 415 Indiana 463 2526 579 Minnesota 212 1937 / California 460 2992 782 Connecticut 211 2532 1401 Hawaii 453 851 185 Massachusetts 201 1635 1229 Kansas 443 3096 / Rhode Island 191 1838 631 Montana 433 3569 846 New Jersey 190 2352 630 South Carolina 415 1856 476 New York 174 1627 778 Wisconsin 415 4416 / District of Columbia 56 1065 267 *Incarceration rates based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005. New Mexico and Wyoming have been excluded due to lack of data on race and ethnicity. PAGE 10 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY An examination of the ratio of black-to-white incarceration rates by state illustrates not only the heightened use of imprisonment for African Americans, but also regional differences in how incarceration policies produce disparities. While the national black-to-white ratio of incarceration is 5.6, among the states the ratio ranges from a high of nearly 14-to-1 in Iowa to a low of less than 2-to-1 in Hawaii.13 In seven states – Iowa, Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota – the black-to-white ratio of incarceration is greater than 10-to-1. TABLE 5 – States States with Highest and Lowest BLACKBLACK-TOTO-WHITE RATIO STATE BLACKBLACK-TOTO-WHITE RATIO Highest STATE BLACKBLACK-TOTO-WHITE RATIO Lowest Iowa 13.6 Hawaii 1.9 Vermont 12.5 Georgia 3.3 New Jersey 12.4 Mississippi 3.5 Connecticut 12.0 Alabama 3.5 Wisconsin 10.6 Arkansas 3.9 13 We include data for the District of Columbia in each of the tables, but not in the discussion since as a wholly urban jurisdiction it is not comparable to state populations. Also, note that there are no racial and ethnic data available for New Mexico and Wyoming. PAGE 11 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY TABLE 6 -- Prison & Jail Incarceration Rates, 2005, By BLACKBLACK-TOTO-WHITE RATIO Rate of Incarceration Incarceration per 100,000 Population State White Black B-TOTO-W RATIO State White Black B-TOTO-W RATIO District of Columbia 56 1065 19.0 Virginia 396 2331 5.9 Iowa 309 4200 13.6 Oregon 502 2930 5.8 Vermont 304 3797 12.5 Arizona 590 3294 5.6 New Jersey 190 2352 12.4 West Virginia 392 2188 5.6 Connecticut 211 2532 12.0 NATIONAL 412 2290 5.6 Wisconsin 415 4416 10.6 Michigan 412 2262 5.5 North Dakota 267 2683 10.0 Maryland 288 1579 5.5 South Dakota 470 4710 10.0 Indiana 463 2526 5.5 Rhode Island 191 1838 9.6 North Carolina 320 1727 5.4 New York 174 1627 9.4 Missouri 487 2556 5.2 New Hampshire 289 2666 9.2 Kentucky 561 2793 5.0 Pennsylvania 305 2792 9.2 Texas 667 3162 4.7 Utah 392 3588 9.2 Louisiana 523 2452 4.7 Minnesota 212 1937 9.1 Nevada 627 2916 4.7 Illinois 223 2020 9.1 South Carolina 415 1856 4.5 Nebraska 290 2418 8.3 Florida 588 2615 4.4 Montana 433 3569 8.2 Oklahoma 740 3252 4.4 Massachusetts 201 1635 8.1 Alaska 500 2163 4.3 Maine 262 1992 7.6 Idaho 675 2869 4.3 Kansas 443 3096 7.0 Tennessee 487 2006 4.1 Colorado 525 3491 6.6 Arkansas 478 1846 3.9 California 460 2992 6.5 Alabama 542 1916 3.5 Washington 393 2522 6.4 Mississippi 503 1742 3.5 Ohio 344 2196 6.4 Georgia 623 2068 3.3 Delaware 396 2517 6.4 Hawaii 453 851 1.9 * Incarceration rates based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005. New Mexico and Wyoming have been excluded due to lack of data on race and ethnicity. PAGE 12 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY HISPANIC RATES OF INCARCERATION HIGHER THAN WHITES, LESS THAN AFRICAN AMERICANS The national rate of incarceration for Hispanics – 742 per 100,000 – is nearly double that of whites (see Table 1), but considerably less than that of African Americans.14 As seen in Table 7, the range of incarceration rates extends from a high of 1,714 per 100,000 in Pennsylvania to a low of 185 in Hawaii. A comparison between Tables 4 and 7 documents the degree of ethnic disparities in the use of imprisonment. More than 1% of Hispanics in seven states are incarcerated, and 16 states have Hispanic rates of incarceration higher than the highest state rate (Oklahoma) for whites. As with African Americans, there is broad variation among the states in the rate of incarceration compared to the non-Hispanic white population. A comparison of Hispanic rates of incarceration at the state level with those of whites reveals similar patterns of ethnic-based disparity to that between African Americans and whites. The Hispanic-to-white ratio of incarceration ranges from a high of 6.6 in Connecticut to an under-representation of Hispanics relative to whites in nine states (see Table 8).15 14 These data must be interpreted with caution. Reporting on Hispanics in the criminal justice system has been limited and often inaccurate over many years, as evidenced by the fact that 11 states in this analysis do not provide any data on Hispanic inmates. Because of this history, there is reason to believe that the comparatively low rate of incarceration of Hispanics compared to whites in some states may be a function of undercounting rather than a reflection of actual practice. 15 The states with the lowest Hispanic-to white ratio are not included because many of the figures are likely to be artificially low and reflect undercounting rather than actual state practices. PAGE 13 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY Table 7 -- Prison & Jail Incarceration Rates, 2005, By HISPANIC Incarceration Rate Rate of Incarceration per 100,000 Population State White Black HISPANIC HISPANIC State White Black HISPANIC Pennsylvania 305 2792 1714 Indiana 463 2526 579 Idaho 675 2869 1654 Georgia 623 2068 576 Connecticut 211 2532 1401 Oregon 502 2930 573 Massachusetts 201 1635 1229 Tennessee 487 2006 561 Arizona 590 3294 1075 Washington 393 2522 527 New Hampshire 289 2666 1063 Virginia 396 2331 487 Colorado 525 3491 1042 South Carolina 415 1856 476 North Dakota 267 2683 848 Illinois 223 2020 415 Montana 433 3569 846 Michigan 412 2262 397 Utah 392 3588 838 Florida 588 2615 382 Oklahoma 740 3252 832 Alaska 500 2163 380 Texas 667 3162 830 Arkansas 478 1846 288 California 460 2992 782 District of Columbia 56 1065 267 New York 174 1627 778 Louisiana 523 2452 244 Iowa 309 4200 764 West Virginia 392 2188 211 Kentucky 561 2793 757 Hawaii 453 851 185 NATIONAL 412 2290 742 South Dakota 470 4710 / Nebraska 290 2418 739 Wisconsin 415 4416 / Delaware 396 2517 683 Vermont 304 3797 / Rhode Island 191 1838 631 Kansas 443 3096 / New Jersey 190 2352 630 Maine 262 1992 / Nevada 627 2916 621 Minnesota 212 1937 / Ohio 344 2196 613 Alabama 542 1916 / Mississippi 503 1742 611 North Carolina 320 1727 / Missouri 487 2556 587 Maryland 288 1579 / * Incarceration rates based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005. New Mexico and Wyoming have been excluded due to lack of data on race and ethnicity. PAGE 14 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY TABLE 8 -- Prison & Jail Incarceration Rates, 2005, By HISPANIC HISPANIC--TOTO-WHITE Ratio Rate of Incarceration per 100,000 Population State White Hispanic H-TOTO-W RATIO State State White Hispanic H-TOTO-W RATIO Connecticut 211 1401 6.6 Virginia 396 487 1.2 Massachusetts 201 1229 6.1 Mississippi 503 611 1.2 Pennsylvania 305 1714 5.6 Missouri 487 587 1.2 District of Columbia 56 267 4.8 Tennessee 487 561 1.2 New York 174 778 4.5 South Carolina 415 476 1.1 New Hampshire 289 1063 3.7 Oregon 502 573 1.1 New Jersey 190 630 3.3 Oklahoma 740 832 1.1 Rhode Island 191 631 3.3 Nevada 627 621 1.0 North Dakota 267 848 3.2 Michigan 412 397 1.0 Nebraska 290 739 2.5 Georgia 623 576 0.9 Iowa 309 764 2.5 Alaska 500 380 0.8 Idaho 675 1654 2.5 Florida 588 382 0.6 Utah 392 838 2.1 Arkansas 478 288 0.6 Colorado 525 1042 2.0 West Virginia 392 211 0.5 Montana 433 846 2.0 Louisiana 523 244 0.5 Illinois 223 415 1.9 Hawaii 453 185 0.4 Arizona 590 1075 1.8 Vermont 304 / / NATIONAL 412 742 1.8 Wisconsin 415 / / Ohio 344 613 1.8 South Dakota 470 / / Delaware 396 683 1.7 Minnesota 212 / / California 460 782 1.7 Maine 262 / / Kentucky 561 757 1.3 Kansas 443 / / Washington 393 527 1.3 Maryland 288 / / Indiana 463 579 1.3 North Carolina 320 / / Texas 667 830 1.2 Alabama 542 / / * Incarceration rates based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2005. New Mexico and Wyoming have been excluded due to lack of data on race and ethnicity. PAGE 15 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES PRODUCED IN DIVERSE WAYS As is evidenced by the data presented in this report, there is substantial variation in both the overall rate of incarceration among states as well as the racial and ethnic differential in the use of incarceration. In addition, states with a high black-to-white differential in incarceration rates reflect one of two types of sentencing practices. • • In some states – Vermont, Wisconsin, South Dakota – the more than ten-fold difference in rates of incarceration is largely due to a high black rate of incarceration, double that of the national average. Other states – Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island – maintain black rates of incarceration that are near or below the national average, but have white rates of incarceration that are less than half the national average. Thus, an average black rate of incarceration and a low white rate of incarceration results in a high black-to-white ratio. Conversely, some southern states – Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia – maintain black incarceration rates below the national average, but have a higher than average white rate of incarceration, thereby producing a lower black-to-white differential than other states. A final note on the black-to-white differentials regards the relative mix of prison and jail populations in the overall data. At a national level, whites are more likely to be incarcerated in local jails (44% of the total population) than prisons (35% of the total). Since jail stays are relatively short compared to prison terms, the collateral consequences of incarceration – separation from family, reduced employment prospects – are generally less severe than for persons spending a year or more in state prison. PAGE 16 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY POLICY ISSUES While the number of people incarcerated in a given state is in part a reflection of crime rates, it is also related to a variety of policy decisions both within and outside the criminal justice system. In addition, many of these decisions have implications for the racial and ethnic composition of a state’s prisons and jails. Within the criminal justice system sentencing policy choices have a significant effect on these outcomes, including: Drug Policy Incarceration rates and racial distributions are affected by resources devoted to policing and prosecution initiatives that emphasize large-scale drug arrests, as well as policing in communities of color, at the expense of drug treatment and diversion programs. Policy Responses: Both federal and state policymakers should revisit the domestic drug control strategy, taking into account the wealth of empirical evidence demonstrating the efficacy of investing in prevention and treatment, rather than a law enforcement-centered approach. Sentencing laws, such as the federal cocaine statutes, should be recalibrated to ensure that they are targeted toward high-level distribution and sale offenses, as opposed to the current emphasis that results in disproportionate numbers of low-level offenders being prosecuted. PAGE 17 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY Sentencing Policy The proliferation of mandatory and determinate sentencing initiatives of recent decades has contributed significantly to higher rates of incarceration. These harsh punishments have often exacerbated racial and ethnic disparities due to the targeting of particular offenses and/or discretionary decisionmaking within the criminal justice system. Policy Responses: Sentencing laws should be amended to reflect the evolving national consensus in favor of prevention and treatment. Efforts should be made to reinstate judicial discretion into the sentencing process to permit judges to craft sentences that accurately reflect the charged conduct and circumstances of the offense and defendant. Policymakers should follow the lead of legislatures in states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Delaware and revisit the wisdom of mandatory minimum sentencing. “Race Neutral” Policies Whether intended or not, a variety of seemingly “race neutral” policies have contributed to growing racial disparity. Due to the intersection of racially skewed policing and sentencing policies, the federal crack cocaine mandatory sentencing laws, for example, have produced highly disproportionate rates of incarceration for low-level offenses. Similarly, school zone drug laws produce severe racial effects due to housing patterns, whereby drug offenses committed near the urban areas that contain many communities of color are prosecuted more harshly than similar offenses in rural communities populated largely by whites. PAGE 18 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY Policy Responses: In order to identify the potential impact of a policy on racial disparity before it is passed into law, state and federal policymakers should mandate a process by which all legislation that will have an effect on the prison population be accompanied by a Racial Impact Statement to document the projected consequences for persons of color. Such statements would not preclude the adoption of new policies, but would add an important component of analysis to the legislative discussion. Resource Allocation The overlap between effects of race and class can be seen most directly by the ways in which limited resources produce disparate outcomes within the justice system. Since people of color are disproportionately low-income they are more likely to rely on an overburdened public defense system and live in communities with limited access to treatment and alternative sentencing options. Policy Responses: Policymakers should establish enforceable and binding standards for indigent defense that ensure the provision of quality representation for all defendants; state and local public defender systems should meet minimum criteria established by the American Bar Association; defense attorneys and judges should be trained to effectively make use of appropriate alternatives to incarceration for defendants. PAGE 19 STATE RATES OF INCARCERATION BY RACE & ETHNICITY Policies that produce high rates of incarceration for racial and ethnic minorities affect not only the persons who are incarcerated, but their families and communities as well. Such impacts include the growing number of children with incarcerated parents, gender imbalances in communities experiencing high incarceration rates, and declining political influence through high rates of felony disenfranchisement. Thus, policymakers should have an interest in reducing disproportionate rates of incarceration in ways that are consistent with promoting public safety. Within each state, such initiatives should include an assessment of the various factors contributing to disparity as well as an exploration of sentencing options. FURTHER READING Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: A Manual for Practitioners and Policymakers http://www.sentencingproject.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?PublicationID=379 Race to Incarcerate http://www.sentencingproject.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?PublicationID=319 Racial Disparity in Sentencing. – A Review of Literature http://www.sentencingproject.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?PublicationID=378 Schools and Prisons: Fifty Years After Brown V. Board of Education http://www.sentencingproject.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?PublicationID=390 Federal Crack Cocaine Sentencing http://www.sentencingproject.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?PublicationID=573
