EGERTON UNIVERSITY
BY
DUVALIER
Topic 3: According to the U.S. Justice Department, in 2003 about 10.4 percent of all African American men between ages 25 to 29 were incarcerated, as compared to 2.4 percent of Hispanic men and 1.2 percent of Non-Hispanic White men. What is going on here? Why are Black men in this age group so much more likely to be in jail than are people of White or Latino descent? Research the incidents of criminal prosecution, convictions, prison sentences, and time served by race and ethnicity for all three – African American, Hispanic, and White men. What factors or variables are associated with who gets involved in crime, why, and what happens to them in the criminal justice system? Also look into how many judges, lawyers, and lawmakers are White compared with those who are African American. What does this tell us about structured inequality?

Topic Proposal
I chose this topic because this because this is the normal scenario in my hometown that is has a similar meaning to my city. During the years I grew up here in Augusta, GA. I felt that African American men have a huge structure of inequality compared to White or Latino descent. This topic is important to cultural diversity because it talks about African Americans, Latinos, and White. Majority of America has a big diversity of African Americans, Latinos, and Whites that we see and work with every day. Learning about these major cultures makes a big impact of diversity and how to handle and notice different cultures. I want to research this topic to find out why there is so many black men are in jail. What are they in jail for? Why is this is a stereotype. Finding out this particular age group is always in jail more than Latinos and whites. They’re must be some type of inequality involved when I do research to find out what happens to them in the justice system, how they are treated, how are they falsely accused in crime or accused in crime

Blacks Incarcerated
When comparing the number of black men being incarcerated with different races is unequal. Black men ages between 25 to 29, will more probable get to be imprisoned than Whites or Hispanics. According the united state justice department (2003) showed that 10.4% of African American men were in a correctional facility. Just 2.4% of Hispanics men and 1.2% of Non-Hispanic White men served times in jail. Data demonstrate that dark guys in the age set of 25-29 are more prone to wind up imprisoned than White or Hispanic men.
As data indicated that, African Americans are more prone to expend more time in a correctional facility than whatever other gathering of individuals this is because of financial issues they faced as compared to other group. For example, (Torr, 2004) stated that insights affirm that "prisoner populaces are for the most part non-white individuals that have confronted serious financial issues". To delineate, "blacks have an unemployment rate twice as high as whites and destitution rates more than three times higher, blacks involve 30% of government and 46% of the United States populace"
As one can see by the statistics, black men are more likely to expend more time behind bars than any other group of people. One reason is due to the socioeconomic problems that black individuals face. For instance, statistics confirm that “inmate populations are mostly people of color that have faced severe socioeconomic problems” (Torr, 2004). To illustrate, “blacks have an unemployment rate twice as high as whites and poverty rates more than three times higher, blacks comprise 30% of federal and 46% of the United States population” (Torr, 2004).
What's more, as indicated by the 1999 United States Bureau of Census, "33.1% of dark youngsters lived in neediness contrast with 13.5% of white kids" (Robert Rector, 2000). (Robert Rector, 2000) indicated that young African American children are more inclined to live in neediness than are white kids, basically on the grounds that black children are much more inclined to live in single-guardian families and to be on welfare. Similarly, Latinos are "enduring unemployment rates about twice as high as whites and destitution rates almost three times higher, making up 28% of government and 17% of state detainees, however making up just 10.2% of the populace" (Torr, 2004)
In addition, according to the 1999 United States Bureau of Census, “33.1% of black children lived in poverty compare with 13.5% of white children” (Robert Rector, 2000). Also, “Black children are more likely to live in poverty than are white children, primarily because black children are far more likely to live in single-parent families and to be on welfare” (Robert Rector, 2000). In addition, Latinos are “suffering unemployment rates nearly twice as high as whites and poverty rates nearly three times higher, making up 28% of federal and 17% of state inmates, however making up only 10.2% of the population” (Torr, 2004).
Furthermore, the “United States prisons are filled with convicts who have lousy job prospects and dismal incomes” (Torr, 2004). Not to mention, “One government survey of prisoners who entered in 1991 found out that more than half of the prison population had not completed high school; 33% did not hold an occupation;45% held a part time job, and approximately 70% received less than fifteen thousand dollars a year” (Torr, 2004). Therefore, based ton the conformist ideas, that poverty and crime are in correlation to each other, ...”Blacks are more likely to stopped, searched, and harassed, and maybe even arrested by the police” (Torr, 2004). In fact, predominately Black neighborhoods are constantly selected as neighborhoods for fighting crimes.
Another reason that more black male individual are behind bars is due to drug related issues. These individuals are trying to make money the easy way in order to have the necessities in life. For instance, “persecutors know through experience that the majority of crimes in communities are drug-related” (Torr, 2004). According to Torr, the “war on drugs” “that was declared in 1980 has been the primary contributor to the growth of the prison system population in the United States” (Torr, 2004). Not to mention, black individuals engage in more drug-related activities than any other group in America (“7.7% current users compared to 6.6% for whites and 6.8% for Hispanics” (Torr, 2004). In addition, “African Americans constitute for 13& of the nation's monthly drug users, they represent 35&% of those persons arrested for crime, 53% of drug convictions, and 5% of those in prison for drug offenses” (Torr, 2004)

In addition, “the impact of greater emphasis on law enforcement and incarceration of drug offenders has had a dramatic impact on the incarceration of African Americans” (Torr. 2004). In fact, “African Americans are mostly likely to be arrested than any other group” due to the use of drugs (Torr, 2004). Drugs are causing most African Americans men to be jailed than any other race.
On the other hand, there are some interventions that the surrounding communities can engage in to prevent this rising statistics from exceeding even higher numbers. One method of interventions is the use rehab centers for prisoners. For example, “A study of residential drug treatment within federal prisons showed that inmates who complete the program were 7.3% less likely to be arrested than those who had not completed it” (Torr, 2004). These federally funded programs that help inmates stay out of trouble and is a great asset.
Also, drug treatment centers can help eliminate the drug problems. According to Torr, “the reduction of drug consumption through treatment instead of incarceration would reduce serious crime fifteen times more effectively” (Torr, 2004).Drug treatment programs can help inmates with the drug problem to prevent the rising of black incarcerated men.Furthermore, community activities can help lower this statistic, also. For instance, job guidance to inmates maybe beneficial. According to Torr, “job training in prison might be co-ordinated with work after release” (Torr, 2004). TH community showing and engaging them in useful activities will take their mind off of doing other things that might put them back into prison.For instance, In 77 largest firms in New York, 34 out of 4,440 partners of Africans (Fisher, 2002). Moreover, according to Lawyers for One, “One in ten of the nations firms has one minority lawyers. There is a need for more African American lawyers in America
In addition, Cochran mentioned in his book A Lawyer's Life that black lawyers have a harder time than any other group of lawyers. For instance, he mentioned that” there was not a lot of opportunity in the legal profession for aggressive young black lawyers...however, most law firms was what they called lily white” (Fisher, 2002). This means that most law firms were headed or owned by white lawyers. Moreover, he stated that “while there was no laws against blacks becoming lawyers, there were some very high barriers placed in their way... no matter how prepared black attorneys seemed to be, they never got the opportunity to prove their ability” (Fisher, 2002). Black lawyers make up a small percent of the present day population.
The number of black legal advisors has been gradually expanding. There has been a trivial increment in the number of black people that are going to school to turn into a legal counselor. Case in point, Cochran expressed that amid his season of turning into a legal advisor "there were presumably not as much as a thousand back attorneys in the whole nation (Fisher, 2002). Also, give or take "7.2% of law understudies are African Americans, and dark speak to 12.1% of the all inclusive community" (Legal Profession, 2006). This measurement uncovers that there is still some desire for the African American populace to end up effective
However, Black lawyers are slowly increasing. There has been a slight increase in the number of black individuals that are attending college to become a lawyer. For example, Cochran stated that during his time of becoming a lawyer “there was probably less than a thousand back lawyers in the entire country” (Fisher, 2002). Moreover, approximately “7.2% of law students are African Americans, and black represent 12.1% of the general population” (Legal Professtion , 2006). This statistic reveals that there is still some hope for the African American population to become successful
All in all, there are more African American men incarcerated numerous amounts of reasons with poverty and drugs at the top of the list. “The war on drugs can contributed substantially to a vastly prison system and a exacted a heavy toll on minority communities in particular” (Torr, 2004).Race and social; status should not be the force that drives law enforcement.
References
Cochran, Johnnie & Fisher, David. (2002). A Lawyer's Life. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Fagan, Patrick, Johnson, Kirk, & Rector, Robert. Understanding Differences in Black and White Child Poverty Rates. The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved February 6, 2010, from http: //www.hertitage.org/research/welfare/cda01-04.cfm
Lawyers for One. (2000). Retrieved February 6, 2010, from http://www.diversitycentral.com/business/diversity_statics. html #lp
Torr, James D. (Ed). (2004). Opposing Viewpoints: Crime and Criminals. New York: Greenhaven Press.