Statistics of incarcerated African-American males
Encyclopedia
The process of gathering and analysing statistics
on an incarcerated African American males has been taken by several studies on a specific age group, geographical location, causes of incarceration
or simply the upbringing of a child over a course of years. Statistics show that at least half of the male African American community nationwide has been in prison. Only approximately 7% of the American population is African American, but they make up 46% of the total 2.1 million male inmates in jail or prison (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). Census data for 2000 of the number and race of all individuals incarcerated in the United States revealed a wide racial disproportion of the incarcerated population in each state: the proportion of blacks in prison populations exceeded the proportion among state residents in twenty states; the percent of blacks incarcerated was five times greater than the resident population.
(According to America Community Survey.)
are in prison than are enrolled in colleges and universities. In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college versus 1980, when there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college. In 2003, according to Justice Department figures, 193,000 black college-age men were in prison, while 532,000 black college-age men were attending college. On an average day in 1996, more black male high school dropouts
aged 20–35 were in custody than in paid employment; by 1999, over one fifth of black non college men in their early 30’s had prison records. 1
Year / Male key:
1972 / 22.3
1980 / 20.8
1985 / 16.1
1990 / 11.9
1995 / 11.1
1996 / 13.5
1997 / 13.3
1998 / 15.5
1999 / 12.1
2000 / 15.3
2001 / 13.0
2002 / 12.8
2003 / 12.5
2004 / 13.5
2005 / 12.0
2006 / 9.7
The government is building prisons based on third grade reading test scores. They can conclude whether or not a child will go to prison and some point if their literacy score is low. Recent national data from a study of beginning kindergartners show conclusively that African American males start school already behind other groups of children with respect to emergent reading and mathematical skills (ECLS-K, 1998). Thus, problems in elementary school may have roots in the preschool years. Most African American Children are behind on reading but excel in other subjects (Jencks & Phillips, 1998). The gaps don't stop in elementary school, but are evident in middle and high school if never caught up by the early elementary years (Gordon 2-4)
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
on an incarcerated African American males has been taken by several studies on a specific age group, geographical location, causes of incarceration
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
or simply the upbringing of a child over a course of years. Statistics show that at least half of the male African American community nationwide has been in prison. Only approximately 7% of the American population is African American, but they make up 46% of the total 2.1 million male inmates in jail or prison (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). Census data for 2000 of the number and race of all individuals incarcerated in the United States revealed a wide racial disproportion of the incarcerated population in each state: the proportion of blacks in prison populations exceeded the proportion among state residents in twenty states; the percent of blacks incarcerated was five times greater than the resident population.
Estimated number of inmates held in state or federal prison or in local jails per 100,000 residents in the years of 2003-2007
| 2007 | 4,618 |
| 2006 | 4,789 |
| 2005 | 4,682 |
| 2004 | 4,919 |
| 2003 | 4,834 |
Statistics by age group
- A black male born in 1991 has a 29% chance of spending time in prison at some point in his life.2
- Nearly one in three African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
males aged 20–29 are under some form of criminal justice supervision whether imprisoned, jailed, on parole or probation. - One out of nine African American men will be incarcerated between the ages of 20 and 34.
- Black males ages 30 to 34 have the highest incarceration rate of any race/ethnicity.
(According to America Community Survey.)
Prison vs. College
Several studies, including one by the Justice Policy Institute, which advocates alternatives to incarceration, have concluded that overall, more black malesBlack people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
are in prison than are enrolled in colleges and universities. In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college versus 1980, when there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college. In 2003, according to Justice Department figures, 193,000 black college-age men were in prison, while 532,000 black college-age men were attending college. On an average day in 1996, more black male high school dropouts
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
aged 20–35 were in custody than in paid employment; by 1999, over one fifth of black non college men in their early 30’s had prison records. 1
Black Drop Outs by Gender
Percentage of Black high school dropouts 16 to 24Year / Male key:
1972 / 22.3
1980 / 20.8
1985 / 16.1
1990 / 11.9
1995 / 11.1
1996 / 13.5
1997 / 13.3
1998 / 15.5
1999 / 12.1
2000 / 15.3
2001 / 13.0
2002 / 12.8
2003 / 12.5
2004 / 13.5
2005 / 12.0
2006 / 9.7
The government is building prisons based on third grade reading test scores. They can conclude whether or not a child will go to prison and some point if their literacy score is low. Recent national data from a study of beginning kindergartners show conclusively that African American males start school already behind other groups of children with respect to emergent reading and mathematical skills (ECLS-K, 1998). Thus, problems in elementary school may have roots in the preschool years. Most African American Children are behind on reading but excel in other subjects (Jencks & Phillips, 1998). The gaps don't stop in elementary school, but are evident in middle and high school if never caught up by the early elementary years (Gordon 2-4)
The leading causes of incarceration for African American males
- The leading cause of incarceration of an African American male is a non-criminal drug offenseDrug-Related CrimeIn the United States, Illegal drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse...
. www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/64- Between 1985 and 1995 the American prison population of drug offenders increased from 38,900 to 224,900 with African American males at the top (King 166).
- Person crimes
- Property crimes