"Everett and Wojtkiewicz (2002) find harsher sentences for African Americans arrested for drug offenses. Even when controlled for offense related variables, African Americans are twenty-two percent more likely to receive greater sentences than whites (Everett & Wojtkiewicz, 2002). In an analysis of 9,690 habitual Florida offenders in fiscal year 1992-1993, Crawford et
al. (1998) find sentencing disadvantages for African Americans especially for drug offenses. Myers (1989) finds greater disparity in sentencing among African Americans for drug distribution and drug usage as compared to white drug offenders while Spohn (2000) reports that African Americans receive 14.09 months lengthier sentences than whites for drug offenses through studies conducted in Georgia and Kansas City respectively."

Estes, D. (2015) Race & Non-Racial Characteristics in Sentencing
Length and Sentencing Type Disparity. Retrieved from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/...58&context=etd

"Decades of research have shown that the criminal courts sentence black defendants more harshly than whites. But a striking new investigation of sentencing disparities in Florida by The Sarasota Herald-Tribune expands our understanding of this problem in two important ways.

It exposes the fact that African-American defendants get more time behind bars — sometimes twice the prison terms of whites with identical criminal histories — when they commit the same crimes under identical circumstances. It also shows how bias on the part of individual judges and prosecutors drives sentencing inequity.

The Florida Legislature has been wrestling with this issue for decades. In the 1980s, for example, it tried to change sentencing policies that varied widely from place to place by creating sentencing guidelines. Today, prosecutors assign defendants points — based on the seriousness of their crime, the circumstances of their arrest and whether or not they have prior convictions — to determine the minimum sentence required by law."

The Editorial Board (2016) Unequal Sentences for Blacks and Whites. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/17/o...nd-whites.html


46% of individuals in prison are doing time for drug offenses. That's the overwhelming majority of the prison population.

Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2018) BOP Statistics: Inmate Offenses. Retrieved from https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics...e_offenses.jsp


"Black men in prison on average are given sentences nearly 20 percent longer than those served by white men for similar crimes, new sentencing data shows.

The data is contained in a report by the U.S. Sentencing Commission that was submitted to Congress last month and made public this week, the Wall Street Journal (sub.req.) reports.

According to the report, sentences for black males were 19.5 percent longer than those for similarly situated white males between December 2007 and September 2011, the most recent period covered in the report. The commission also found that black males were 25 percent less likely than whites to receive a sentence below the sentencing guidelines.

A separate analysis of the data that excluded sentences of probation showed the same pattern, although the racial disparity was less pronounced. Black men on average were given sentences 14.5 percent longer than whites."

Hansen, M. (2013) Black prisoners are given longer sentences than whites, study says. Retrieved from Black prisoners are given longer sentences than whites, study says

"Some advocates of tough sentencing have argued that black people may commit more crimes than white people. A number of studies undermine this claim, particularly regarding drug use and distribution. A 2011 study found white people are more likely to abuse drugs than black people, with 9% of white people and 5% of African-Americans showing symptoms of substance abuse. Yet, African-Americans are 10 times more likely than white people to be arrested for drug crimes.

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, black people comprise 14% of regular drug users but account for 37% of drug arrests. Laws that may disproportionately target people of color may help explain this difference. For example, federal penalties for crack cocaine crimes were 100 times harsher than those for powdered cocaine. Statistically, black people are significantly more likely to use crack cocaine than white people. Though this disparity changed in 2010 with the Fair Sentencing Act, other disparities may continue to exist."

Villines, Z. (2016) Study: Judges May Sentence Black Defendants More Harshly. Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/stu...arshly-0301161

"Black men who commit the same crimes as white men receive federal prison sentences that are, on average, nearly 20 percent longer, according to a new report on sentencing disparities from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC).

These disparities were observed “after controlling for a wide variety of sentencing factors,” including age, education, citizenship, weapon possession and PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORY."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.ab5ccba08d88

Most black criminals are given longer sentences due to prior records. Ya know, committing more crime should come with harsher and harsher penalties.
Stop grouping all drug crime together or most people will not take you seriously. When it come to possession for use we should treat that differently, especially the first offense. But distribution should have harsh penalties. It causes extremely violent crime.

Similar crime statistics removing prior record is an irrelevant stat. So when you show me a broad study that takes into account allllll of the circumstances that are taken into account during sentencing, and you show me apples to apples comparisons between white and black criminals, and the results show a huge disparity we can begin to conversate.

Cherry picking crimes committed without the other factors being included is irrelevant. It's actually a way to be dishonest and pretend you're not

It exposes the fact that African-American defendants get more time behind bars — sometimes twice the prison terms of whites with identical criminal histories

based on the seriousness of their crime, the circumstances of their arrest and whether or not they have prior convictions

sentences for black males were 19.5 percent longer than those for similarly situated white males

You must not have read Rez's post at all. The studies state:







Just saying, spk. Maybe read before you respond.

"Even more surprising is what gets left out of the chart: Blacks are far more likely to be arrested for selling or possessing drugs than whites, even though whites use drugs at the same rate. And whites are actually more likely to sell drugs.

Whites were about 45 percent more likely than blacks to sell drugs in 1980, according to an analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth by economist Robert Fairlie. This was consistent with a 1989 survey of youth in Boston. My own analysis of data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 6.6 percent of white adolescents and young adults (aged 12 to 25) sold drugs, compared to just 5.0 percent of blacks (a 32 percent difference)."

Ingraham, C. (2014). White people are more likely to deal drugs, but black people are more likely to get arrested for it. Retrieved from http://blackandgold.com/newreply.php...ote=1&p=812435