NCJ Number
143187
Date Published
1992
Length
22 pages
Annotation
An analysis of trends by race for the Texas criminal justice system indicates that incarceration rates for minorities, particularly blacks, increased significantly between 1985 and 1991.
Abstract
Drug offenses accounted for most of the growth in the number of minorities arrested and incarcerated. The incarceration rate for blacks increased from 683 per 100,000 black adult population in 1985 to 1,414 in 1991. Incarceration rates per 100,000 adult population for whites and Hispanics were 167 and 293, respectively. Of 1,967 total arrests in 1990, 1,497 involved whites and 5,181 involved blacks. The number of arrests for violent index crimes, property index crimes, and drug violations rose 13 percent between 1985 and 1990. The number of offenders sentenced to prison increased from 25,365 in 1985 to 44,613 in 1991, a 76- percent increase. Blacks sentenced to prison showed the greatest percentage change over the period (127 percent). Whites and Hispanics had percentage changes of 26 and 95 percent, respectively. The number of drug offenders sentenced to prison increased from 2,921 in 1985 to 12,404 in 1991. During this same period, the number of offenders sentenced to prison for violent crimes grew from 5,237 to 8,839. The number of property offenders sentenced to prison increased from 14,038 in 1985 to 19,972 in 1991. Whites served the longest time for violent offenses, while blacks served more time for property offenses, and Hispanics served the longest time for drug offenses.