169 research outputs found
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 war on marijuana: The transformation of the war on drugs in the 1990s
BACKGROUND: As the "war on drugs" enters the latter half of its third decade since being forged into the American lexicon by President Ronald Reagan, the public has grown more skeptical of the current strategy and has proven to be receptive to a broader consideration of alternatives to incarceration. This has been the case most notably with marijuana offenses, where the policy discussion has shifted in some localities to one of decriminalization or de-prioritizing law enforcement resources dedicated to pursuing possession offenses. Despite the increased profile surrounding marijuana policy in recent years, there remains a significant degree of misunderstanding regarding the current strategy, both in terms of how resources are being allocated and to what eventual gain. METHODS: Previous studies have analyzed drug offenses as a general category, but there has yet to be a single study that has focused specifically on marijuana offenders at all stages of the system. This report analyzes multiple sources of data for the period 1990–2002 from each of the critical points in the criminal justice system, from arrest through court processing and into the correctional system, to create an overall portrait of this country's strategy in dealing with marijuana use. RESULTS: The study found that since 1990, the primary focus of the war on drugs has shifted to low-level marijuana offenses. During the study period, 82% of the increase in drug arrests nationally (450,000) was for marijuana offenses, and virtually all of that increase was in possession offenses. Of the nearly 700,000 arrests in 2002, 88% were for possession. Only 1 in 18 of these arrests results in a felony conviction, with the rest either being dismissed or adjudicated as a misdemeanor, meaning that a substantial amount of resources, roughly $4 billion per year for marijuana alone, is being dedicated to minor offenses. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that law enforcement resources are not being effectively allocated to offenses which are most costly to society. The financial and personnel investment in marijuana offenses, at all points in the criminal justice system, diverts funds away from other crime types, thereby representing a questionable policy choice
Incarcerated Parents and Their Children: Trends 1991-2007
Analyzes data compiled by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on number of parents in prison by race/ethnicity and other demographics, and highlights the increase in incarcerated mothers. Makes policy recommendations
A new look at blood shear-thinning
Blood viscosity decreases with shear stress, a property essential for an
efficient perfusion of the vascular tree. Shear-thinning is intimately related
to the dynamics and mutual interactions of red blood cells (RBCs), the major
constituents of blood. Our work explores RBCs dynamics under physiologically
relevant conditions of flow strength, outer fluid viscosity and volume
fraction. Our results contradict the current paradigm stating that RBCs should
align and elongate in the flow direction thanks to their membrane circulation
around their center of mass, reducing flow-lines disturbances. On the contrary,
we observe both experimentally and with simulations, rich morphological
transitions that relate to global blood rheology. For increasing shear
stresses, RBCs successively tumble, roll, deform into rolling stomatocytes and
finally adopt highly deformed and polylobed shapes even for semi-dilute volume
fractions analogous to microcirculatory values. Our study suggests that any
pathological change in plasma composition, RBCs cytosol viscosity or membrane
mechanical properties will impact the onset of shape transitions and should
play a central role in pathological blood rheology and flow behavior
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