NCJ Number
192127
Date Published
May 2001
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methodology and findings of a study that concluded official prison statistics distort the racial and ethnic realities of prison growth.
Abstract
This study tracked the change in prison populations on a State-by-State basis between 1985 and 1997, adding Hispanic/Latinos to the analysis. The study focused on the magnitude of racial and ethnic disparity in incarceration when Hispanic/Latinos are separated from other racial groups, how this disparity differs from State to State, and how it has changed over time. Three data sets were used for this study: 1985 prisoner data from the Correctional Populations in the United States 1985; 1997 prisoner data from the Correctional Populations in the United States 1997; and 1985 and 1997 population data by State. This study found that when Hispanic/Latino prisoners are disaggregated from whites, the percentage of the prison population that is white is much lower than previously reported. Communities of color are far and away bearing the brunt of the escalation in the prison population. New York State leads the Nation in populating its prisons with minorities. In 75 percent of all States, minorities accounted for more than half of the increase in prison populations. This report recommends that States and the Federal Government adopt uniform guidelines for collecting and reporting prisoner data on race and ethnicity. Other recommendations pertain to steps for reducing the disproportionate incarceration of minority groups and its negative impact on minority communities. Appended State-by-State prisoner data and 12 notes