Race and Opportunity in the US

[masterpanthera_t]

(03-23-2018, 11:23 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: This is obviously going in a different direction that just the equality of opportunity discussion, but the idea of systemic racism in the criminal justice system is more obvious when it involves drug crimes. Those arrested for drug crimes make up the majority of the population in our prisons, not perpetrators of crimes against others. The data from studies on drug use in the United States show that members of all racial groups use drugs at similar rates, but African Americans are arrested and convicted at much higher rates than other racial groups. In addition to that, they are sentenced more harshly than white defendants in drug cases.

Yes, I've heard or seen this being discussed in the way you've laid it out here. I remember watching somewhere the difference between the legislation on crack cocaine (highly predominant in African American cocaine users) vs. an other type of cocaine (I think this means powdered cocaine, but I don't remember).  The second type of cocaine has much less severe legal consequences to its users compared to the former. I can't think of other examples, but I'm sure they exist as that was sort of what the program was stating.

Quote:The War on Drugs is the main driver of the increase in our prison populations, and that has targeted the African American community in a disproportionate way. Violent crime rates have not changed in a way that could explain the massive increase in our prisoner populations in this country in the last 30-40 years. These are just observations, not even judgement calls or discussions of motive behind this issue.

I'm not particularly optimistic that this will change anytime in the near future given the rise of the for-profit private prison systems.