Why are there over 70% Blacks in the American prisons ?

Question

Yet,they only make up 13 % of the American population. Is this statistic even real ? I've heard this so many times. What's your theory about it ?

Just ask wrote;
Because most grow up in less than perfect environments, with not enough nurture, so nature takes over...

Most of the worlds population grows up in less than perfect environments. Being born in Ameirca is like winning the lottery. Infact,there's a huge waiting list of immigrants waiting to get into America. So,Im not sure if the living conditons in that country are the culprit. The Chinese & Japanese have much longer work days and smaller homes compared to Blacks or anyone in America. The Jews who lived in Auschwitz concentration camps lived in less than ideal conditions than African Americans do now. Auschwitz was a Ghetto. Not,Harlem,Detroit,Bronx,East L.A. Yet, when the Jews moved into America and elsewhere. They got into Medicine,finance,legal enterpenuership,Why didn't they start selling crack or car jacking ? Issac Newton grow up in less than ideal conditons. He was a lone son of a single mom. Who abandoned him at an early age.He was poor & alone.

Answer 1

It probably is true. I'm thinking that there are several factors why this is probably true. First, there are a lot of black men who are involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, gang violence, robberies, etc. People in poverty have an increased probability of doing something illegal compared with people who live in middle to upper class neighborhoods. Since the average black household income is $20,000 compared to white average household incomes of $125,000, it is easy to see why many of these black men and women turn to 'hustling' to make ends meet. Not that it's right, of course. But poverty is a factor.

In a nutshell, there are way more blacks who live at or below poverty level in the U.S. due to poor education of parents which trickles down to the youth. Others reasons for poverty in the black community comes from generational poverty from SHALL I SAY IT? Residual effects of slavery and continuing racism. Am I whining now...lol. Sometimes people don't want to accept the truth. Anyhow, we are products of our environments. You've heard that a lot, right. Well, its true. When people see no hope of getting out of their miserable poverty-stricken existence, hopelessness turns into anger and resentment and these people no longer have any respect for authority or law.

This is probably why these statistics are true. I'm just glad none of my brothers and male family members are in jail. There are deviations to every situation.

Answer 2

Social Inequality is only the tip of the iceburg.

What I don't understand is why minorities, those who fit into the Label, that is....I still don't understand what a minority is, but I digress...The very people that are being defined by the word Blacks are allowing themselves to be defined.

Not all people with dark complection are of african origin. Why aren't White african americans called African Americans? How come black Nigerians aren't called Nigerian-Americans? White African Americans are called WHITES and black Nigerians are called BLACKS. WAKE UP. Racism will always exist as long as our society insists on labeling everyone by COLOR of their skin.

It's all bullshit designed to make a group of people feel less important or valid than some other group.

Rise up and fight the power. If all you hear and see every day is that "Blacks" (those who can be identified by their dark skin) are criminals and very few are lucky enough to "escape" their conditions, then very few will even TRY. When you hear your "Black leaders" who are supposed to be representing you, telling you that you are indeed a minority and underpriviledged and undereducated and that you won't get anywhere in the "white man's" world unless you play dirty, that's what you do. You play dirty and you get what you get however you can because you believe that's your only option.

People need to understand while they are young that anyone, regardless of the circumstances and their social programming they can be and do anything they want if they make it happen. If your world experiences are limited to your neighborhood or your city, then you won't even know those possibilities exist, that's where books and school come in. If you can't escape your conditions and your CONDITIONING, then escape by educating yourself. Learn what other options you have in life. There are many.

Our judicial system is inherently racist and only if we keep talking about it will it be changed. We need more minorities rising into the system as lawyers, judges, and getting involved in politics if change is to happen.

To beat an unfair system, you have to work it from the inside out and that means playing by their rules before you can change the rules. In the meantime, stop identifying with labels that don't represent who you are. When you put all the "minorities" together, they become the Majority. That is why the current power structure continues to divide us by our skin color, because that's the most obvious way to keep us from Unifying and taking over.

Answer 3

I don't have time to answer in full detail, but here is a brief summary.

1.)Blacks do not make up 70%
2.)Racial Injustice
This has been a major factor since Blacks were freed. More broken Homes develop
3.)Money
Most blacks can't afford slick lawyers to get them off or another chance
4.)Education
Most inmates come from poverty areas, where education is poor. I've talked to kids who told me their teacher thought it would be best not to strive to be a Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer put to pursue a trade like being a mechanic. This was told to middle school age kids.
5.)HipHop/Rap
This is more of a new issue. The rap industry GLAMORIZES the "Struggle" you can make it if you keep hustling! Your not cool unless you get shot, your not Bad if you let someone say bad things about you. Your number one goal in life should be to hit the best parties, and get a sweet necklace! In order to survive you got to get a part time drug dealing gig.

Lastly there is an issue of a lack of fathers. Men need Men to Become Men. A vicious cycle has started and i can only pray that it ends. We not only as a people but as a country as whole has lost its belief in a family structure. Divorce rate is crazy, Babys out of wedlock is crazy, There is no real repercussions for child support.
Its a vicious cycle!

Answer 4

I've heard that it's more like 55 or 56% of blacks that are or recently have been in "some phase of the US criminal justice system" , and yes it's true that blacks altogether make up only approx. 12-13% of the entire US population. So, it's grossly disproportionate, obviously. The reasons are hard to say. A combination of several or many factors, for example, poverty & environmnental factors in many cases; the neighborhoods and areas in which people grow up, what they see, who they associate with, etc. It's a vicious circle. Possibly, in many individuals , regardless of race, there could be some type of genetic predisposition towards things like addiction and / or criminality or violence. I don't believe we really know that yet, but it is a theory. Also, you have factors like the (general) lack of positive male role models in the black communities, and (again, generally) fathers who tend to, all too many times, have several children by different women and stay around to raise none of them. You also have the so-called "war on drugs", where way too many young black males have been and are being locked up for way too long, essentially for non-violent drug offenses (possession, for example). You also have institutionalized racism in the criminal justice system, and that is a fact whether white people want to admit it or realize it or not. With the exception of (in my opinion at least) OJ Simpson , it's a rare day when a black man "gets away with" ANYthing. Prison sentences are longer for black men, alternative possibilities to prison are considered less often for black men, and , in more serious cases of course, the death penalty has been prescribed (and applied) far more often when it comes to black men. So, I believe all these factors contribute to the grossly disproportionate numbers of blacks in "some phase of the US criminal justice system".

Answer 5

Unfortunately, I believe it is true that 70% of the prison population is black.

As a person who grew up in England, I was surprised by the differences in race. In England, you are simply a human being. Here you have a check a box for nearly everything and the government has spent so much money trying to balance schools and housing. Unfortunately, it is too late to go back and make everyone a human being.....additional, it is extremely hard to be black.

Answer 6

Because most grow up in less than perfect environments, with not enough nurture, so nature takes over. Not being afforded opportunities because they do things to fit in with the "gangsta's" and "hiphop" look.

Answer 7

The stats are real, and there are a few theories why. Blacks have been oppressed in the past, and the new generation are taking out their aggrivation on the "system" OR there is still a lot of racial profiling going on.

I don't believe either.

NC

Answer 8

My Daughter in law and I just talked about this question. Seems she thinks that black men are trained to be trouble. Not so much by family but by piers. Now before you get miffed and call me a racist scumbag. Kayla is black and I'm white.
Kayla grew up in the inner city. Her mother and father were just one of few couples that lived and worked together and stayed married.
Moms raise their kids more often then dads do. Broken homes create broken ideals and broken morals..Not just in the black community but all communities. This influences how people perceive their world.
Racism creates havoc in the mind of anyone. With all the blaming going on about the "Black being held down by whitey" The crutch is formed to make generations of crutch users.
Kayla's Dad is sitting here with me as we both attempt to explain the statistics.
In the white families we blame our children for failing when they fail. We teach them to carry their own weight and not to blame others for their own crap. We don't allow failure and we don't allow passing the blame for their failure on others. We insist that they stand up and deal with all of the crap life throws at you.
There are black families that do the same. Unfortunately piers don't do the same in the black community. It's all someone else's fault. The police. the whites and the government. That crutch becomes a powerful force for failure. Then when they fail they wont take the blame for their actions.
You cant place a crutch against a wall without some kid wanting to play with it. You cant put a crutch within the reach of people without them using it.
If you want to see crime rates drop and people succeed in anything, remove the crutches that let them fail.
Blacks that quit blaming others and stand on their morals and strengths, succeed.
No one makes someone become an addict or a drug dealer. No one forces someone to be a thug.Those are paths they chose.
truth hurt?

Answer 9

Just streaming down the wrong path; but the criminal justice system is a whole nother story

Answer 10

Before long the Mexican illegals will be ranking higher than the blacks.