The Crisis of the Young African American Male and the Criminal Justice System

African Americans are more likely to be victimized by crime and also to be under criminal justice supervision. This paper explores the current status of African-American males within the criminal justice system, assesses the factors that have created high levels of criminal justice control, and provides policy recommendations

25-Year Quagmire: The "War On Drugs" and Its Impact on American Society

Analysis, based on an analysis of 25 years of government data regarding drugs and the criminal justice system, finds that the "war on drugs" has increasingly targeted low-level offenders for arrest and incarceration, and is largely failing to provide adequate treatment in prison. 33 pagesAnalysis, based on an analysis of 25 years of government data regarding drugs and the criminal justice system, finds that the "war on drugs" has increasingly targeted low-level offenders for arrest and incarceration, and is largely failing to provide adequate treatment in prison

Uneven Justice: State Rates of Incarceration by Race and Ethnicity

Examines racial and ethnic disparities by state, and finds substantial variation in the degree of black-to-white incarceration. The report finds that African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites and Latinos at nearly double the rate. Five states, located in the Northeast and Midwest, incarcerate blacks at more than ten times the rate of whites. Recommended reforms include: addressing disparities through changes in drug policy, mandatory sentencing laws, reconsideration of "race neutral" policies, and changes in resource allocation

The Changing Racial Dynamics of the War on Drugs

Examines the decrease in African Americans and increase in whites among those in state prisons for drug offenses and discusses possible factors, including trends in drug use, sales, arrests, drug courts, and sentencing policies. Considers implications

The New Jim Crow

The mass incarceration of poor people of color represents a new American caste system that is the moral equivalent of Jim Crow. Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. The War on Drugs and the "get tough" movement explain the explosion in incarceration in the United States and the emergence of a vast, new racial undercaste in which the overwhelming majority of the increase in imprisonment has been poor people of color, with the most astonishing rates of incarceration found among black men

Felon Voting Rights

The story of American democracy is often told as the steady expansion of voting but history has not yet caught up with one group -- former felons. In the early American political system, the right to vote was reserved for white males over the age of 21 who owned land. In 1920, after the passage of the 19th Amendment, it was extended to women nationwide. The right to vote was technically extended to African-Americans in 1868 with the passage of the 14th Amendment and effectively enforced with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1971, Congress lowered the legal voting age to 18. Yet, in all but two states, citizens with felony convictions are prohibited from voting either permanently or temporarily. The United States is the only country that permits permanent disenfranchisement of felons even after completion of their sentences.Policies on felony re-enfranchisement among the 50 states are so inconsistent as to create confusion among, not only those former offenders who wish to regain the right to vote, but also the very officials charged with implementing the laws. The result is a network of misinformation that discourages some legally eligible voters from registering to vote and places undue restrictions on others during the registration process. Former offenders who are unaware of their state's restrictions may slip through, register, vote, and in doing so, unwittingly commit a new crime.Fair and consistent felony re-enfranchisement laws can contribute to the rehabilitation process, and reduce the harmful impact on low-income and minority communities where a disproportionately high number of individuals are disenfranchised due to felony convictions. The right to vote helps to foster a sense of community for those who feel disconnected and unfairly excluded from civic participation. Priority must be given to developing a nationwide policy that allows for reinstatement of voting rights, as well as education of former offenders regarding restoration procedures.This policy brief examines the varying ways in which states regulate voting by felons, and concludes with policy recommendations

As Freedom Advances: The Paradox of Severity in American Criminal Justice

According to the Enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu, as freedom advances, the severity of the penal law decreases. \u27 Montesquieu\u27s notion is in the United States Constitution\u27s Eighth Amendment, a provision that reflects a Montesquieuan faith that punishments acceptable today will become cruel and unusual tomorrow. Yet the United States in the year 2000 presents a serious challenge to Montesquieu\u27s notion of the progress of freedom. The United States is simultaneously a leader of the free world and of the incarcerated world. We celebrate and export our commitment to free markets, civil rights, and civil liberties, yet we are also a world leader in incarceration and the death penalty. The last thirty years have seen an unprecedented increase in incarceration in the United States, and the number of persons executed each year has climbed steadily since the Supreme Court resurrected the death penalty in 1976. In our treatment of crime, we could not be more different from other free countries with which we generally associate ourselves. What explains this paradox? Was Montesquieu wrong? This essay examines the uneasy coincidence of freedom and severity in American criminal justice