The Growing Racial Disparity in Prison Time
A new study finds black people are staying longer in state prisons, even as they face fewer arrests and prison admissions overall.
The racial disparity between black and white people sent to state prisons is declining, and it has been for some time.
But criminal justice researchers say people of all races still aren’t treated equally when it comes to one important measure: time served behind bars. While arrest and prison admission rates are dropping for black people—in 2016, black people went to state prison at five today, potentially offsets broader efforts to make the system more equitable, the researchers say.
