US blacks jailed at higher rate for drugs than whites: report

US blacks jailed at higher rate for drugs than whites: report

rawstory.com

African-Americans are arrested and imprisoned for drug-related crimes at a much higher rate than white offenders, even though whites commit more drug offenses in the United States, a rights group said.

A black man is 12 times more likely to be sent to prison for a drug offense than a white man, according to a Human Rights Watch report titled "Targeting Blacks: Drug Law Enforcement and Race in the United States."

A black woman is five times more likely to go to jail for a drug crime than a white counterpart, said the report, which is based on a review of statistics in 34 US states.

In 16 states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York, blacks are sentenced to prison for drug offenses at a rate 10 to 42 times higher than whies.

"Most drug offenders are white, but most of the drug offenders sent to prison are black," said the report's author, Jamie Fellner, senior counsel in the US program at Human Rights Watch.

(visit the link for the full news article)

There has long been anger over the drug laws in the US, but this gives an even more alarming picture.

Quite simply, it look like the judicial system is inherently racist, with black offenders up to 42 times more likely to be locked up for drug offences.

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Hispanics aren't exactly given a free pass. Minorities in general are still getting the short end of the stick. Which is understandable I guess when you look at the drug laws. Race was one of the primary reasons that pot was originally outlawed.

Are they jailed for drugs more often because maybe it is NOT their first offense?

U.S. blacks comprise 13% of the population and commit over 50% of the murders in this country too, but the media rarely talks about that statistic.

www.ojp.usdoj.gov...

[edit on 7-5-2008 by Sonya610]

reply to post by Sonya610


Perhaps so, but clouding the issue here isn't going to make it go away.

Clouding the issue and trying to sweep it under the carpet will only make it worse.

Posting unsettling stats that never make the mainstream media is clouding the issue? The issue is blacks and criminal prosecution. Crime and prosecution are often in fact linked! Perhaps thats an inconvenient truth that should not be discussed.

Come on guys. our nation is a baby. we are only 200 years old, blacks were enslaved and raped and even today they are treated like a lower species. it takes time to get away from racist genes. give it 5 more generations and things like these will go away. heck many one day there will be no more black people. we would all have to be white and dress like Michael Jackson. or maybe there's a reason our earth is killing us.

reply to post by jedimiller

My thought on 'racist genes' going away -- possibly... but I think the main problem is all the PC crap that has stifled any talk or conversation over many past years... in effect, just sweeping it under the rug and hope it goes away... I think we'd be further ahead today if not for all the supression of dialog -- but that's U.S. -- never want to talk to work out differences (see fairly recent Jimmy Carter actions)

As for this story -- I'm not criticizing the OP -- just the report -- this is certainly not 'breaking news' -- it's been going on for decades... oh... but right... no one talks about it... swept under rug... eh?

This does sort of tie in with the discussion we were having in the other thread about the incarceration of muslims in france.

Black people as a group are much more likely to live in inner city areas which are afflicted with crime. Higher crime means more police are likely to be despatched to these areas, resulting in a higher number of black drug offenders being caught.

Or perhaps the policemen of America and elsewhere are institutionally racist.

Is it a case of white people getting caught doing drugs and let off, while blacks were prosecuted? This would most likely indicate institutional racism.

However as someone else said, maybe the drug violations of the black population are secondary offences, which would considerably increase the prosecution rate.

Look, the problem here is the insanity of the drug laws. The commerce clause of the constitution has been perverted beyond recognition to give the federal government power to regulate pretty much anything.

Why should consenting adults have to have rules about what they can or can not put into their own bodies? If the stuff is harmful and it kills them, they have no one to blame but themselves.

Admittedly, some illegal drugs are quite harmful, while others may not be harmful at all, or only harmful to a small percentage of people. But, making drugs illegal only creates an environment where organized crime thrives. If the stuff was legal, the government could tax and regulate it like alcohol, and crime rates would drop.

For some drugs, like cannabis, the worst thing about them is that they are illegal! Take that away, and all you are left with is a harmless plant.

When is this country going to come to its senses? Prohibition only makes people want it more, and causes way more problems than solutions!!!!

Edited to Add:

Drug addiction is a medical problem, one that cops and judges have no business or qualifications to effectively deal with!


[edit on 7-5-2008 by keeb333]

African-Americans are arrested and imprisoned for drug-related crimes at a much higher rate than white offenders, even though whites commit more drug offenses in the United States, a rights group said.

This makes it sound like an issue. White people committing more drug offenses but going to jail less? I have to ask what are the crimes? Are more white people getting busted carrying pot than black people are getting busted hustling coc aine? Well, if this is the case then those are completely different crimes. Of course some kid with a bag of pot won't be going to prison.

As far as more of them being arrested goes I think 44soulslayer has it right about living in areas with higher population densities resulting in more cops = more arrests. You can commit the same crime in the middle of Montana and the chances of you getting caught are far lower just because there is nobody there to catch you.

Again:

"Most drug offenders are white, but most of the drug offenders sent to prison are black," said the report's author, Jamie Fellner, senior counsel in the US program at Human Rights Watch.

What are the offenses? I think it makes a big difference.

I want to see a two groups of convicted crack pushers with equal customer bases and profit and equal previous convictions separated into groups by race. If all things being equal the group of black crack pushers serve more time on average than the group of white pushers then you've got yourself some useable data.