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Black History Month is important every year. But this year, amidst a national reckoning with persistent systemic & institutionalized racism, Black History Month is a call to action.
Reforming our criminal justice system is key to unlocking a future of equality & justice.
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Reforming our criminal justice system is key to unlocking a future of equality & justice.
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There’s no debating that the criminal justice system is plagued by racism.
Almost 30% of CA’s prison population is Black. Yet only 6% of CA’s total population is Black.
This did not happen by accident.
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Almost 30% of CA’s prison population is Black. Yet only 6% of CA’s total population is Black.
This did not happen by accident.
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Over the last 40 years, CA has enacted laws on the false pretense that longer prison sentences make us safer.
By way of harsh sentence enhancements, like the 3 strikes law, gang enhancements & gun enhancements, we started sending people to prison for extreme periods.
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By way of harsh sentence enhancements, like the 3 strikes law, gang enhancements & gun enhancements, we started sending people to prison for extreme periods.
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These sentence enhancements fall largely on communities of color, and Black men in particular.
Take gang enhancements as an example.
Of the about 11,000 people in CA prisons with a gang enhancement, 92% are Black or Latino.
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Take gang enhancements as an example.
Of the about 11,000 people in CA prisons with a gang enhancement, 92% are Black or Latino.
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Further concerning, the non-partisan Council on Criminal Justice found that Black men often receive far longer prison sentences than white men for the same offense.
(5/9) https://counciloncj.foleon.com/reports/trends-key-findings/key-findings/
(5/9) https://counciloncj.foleon.com/reports/trends-key-findings/key-findings/
Opponents of reform will tell you that we need sentence enhancements to make us safer.
The research says otherwise.
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The research says otherwise.
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This study (one of many) finds “little evidence that prisons reduce recidivism and at least some evidence to suggest that they have a criminogenic effect.”
(7/9) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0032885511415224?journalCode=tpjd
(7/9) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0032885511415224?journalCode=tpjd
So in an ironic and tragic twist, our overly harsh sentencing practices increase the risk of reoffending.
Another study finds that concentrated incarceration (as it is in Black communities) is also criminogenic in effect.
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http://endnewjimcrownj.org/resources/The%20Effects%20of%20High%20Imprisonment%20Rates%20on%20Communities%20clear-cj-2008.pdf
Another study finds that concentrated incarceration (as it is in Black communities) is also criminogenic in effect.
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http://endnewjimcrownj.org/resources/The%20Effects%20of%20High%20Imprisonment%20Rates%20on%20Communities%20clear-cj-2008.pdf
This month, let us reflect on Black history and our nation’s history, and on how our past colors the future.
The actions we take today will shape our history tomorrow.
Let that history be one marked by progress, equality, and seeking justice.
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The actions we take today will shape our history tomorrow.
Let that history be one marked by progress, equality, and seeking justice.
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