THE NUMBERS:
- THE PRISON CRISISWith only 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. has more than 20% of the world’s prison population – that makes us the world’s largest jailer.
- From 1978 to 2014, our prison population has risen 408%.
- One in 110 adults are incarcerated in a prison or local jail in the U.S. This marks the highest rate of imprisonment in American history.
- One in 35 adults is under some form of correctional control, counting prison, jail, parole and probation populations.
- THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM THE SITES LISTED BELOW.
- https://www.aclu.org/prison-crisis
- http://www.prisonstudies.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/international_prison_news_digest_march_-_april_2016.pdf
and here is what the NAACP said was some of the contributing facts.
Contributing Factors
- Inner city crime prompted by social and economic isolation
- Crime/drug arrest rates: African Americans represent 12% of monthly drug users, but comprise 32% of persons arrested for drug possession
- "Get tough on crime" and "war on drugs" policies
- Mandatory minimum sentencing, especially disparities in sentencing for crack and powder cocaine possession
- In 2002, blacks constituted more than 80% of the people sentenced under the federal crack cocaine laws and served substantially more time in prison for drug offenses than did whites, despite that fact that more than 2/3 of crack cocaine users in the U.S. are white or Hispanic
- "Three Strikes"/habitual offender policies
- Zero Tolerance policies as a result of perceived problems of school violence; adverse affect on black children.
- 35% of black children grades 7-12 have been suspended or expelled at some point in their school careers compared to 20% of Hispanics and 15% of whites
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