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Study Finds 23% of Young Black Men Under Criminal Sanctions

Nearly one out of every four black men between the ages of 20 and 29 nationwide is in prison or jail or on probation or parole on a given day, according to a new study based on records of the Justice Department and the Bureau of the Census. The 23.0% "criminal justice control rate" for young black men compared to 6.2% for white males and 10.4% for Hispanic males in the same age bracket.

The findings of the study actually understate the impact of the problem. If all of the offenders who were processed through the system at any one time were counted, the proportion of black males subjected to criminal sanctions would be even higher.

The situation is expected to get worse as a result of the "war on drugs" launched by the Bush administration. In Florida, for example, blacks make up 73% of all drug offenders, but they make up only 54% of prison admissions for other types of offenses.

To get a copy of the report: "Young Black Men and the Criminal Justice System: A Growing National Problem," write to:

The Sentencing Project
918 F Street NW, Suite 501
Washington, DC 20004

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