The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons
2021
This report from the Sentencing Project outlines the racial and ethnic disparities present in state prisons across the United States. America is the world leader in terms of prison population, with more than 1.3 million people incarcerated in state prisons. According to the report, African American individuals are imprisoned at a rate five times that of whites, and at least ten times the rate in five states. This disparity in incarceration rates has a host of consequences, both for the individual and the community. Collateral consequences include restricted employment prospects, housing instability, family disruption, stigma, and disenfranchisement – according to the authors. Due to the racial disparities in incarceration rates, these collateral effects of incarceration disproportionally impact Black communities. Evidence also suggests that an individual’s incarceration may have more to do with certain state policies, beliefs, and practices than their crime. The report provides in-depth data and infographics related to the incarceration rates of all 50 states in the U.S.
The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons
Source:
Nellis A. The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons. The Sentencing Project 2021. https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons.