Why do you think the prison population consist of mostly african american "young" men?

Question

I am looking for honest, serious responses. Please, no responses of smart allecks incapable of expressing a well thought out response.

Thank you.

Honeydew, you really don't know what I'm trying to do. I'm simply asking for opinions. And, by the way, I'm an African American.

Answer 1

It depends on who you ask.
Sites such as the Black Commentator (http://www.blackcommentator.com/82/82_prisons.html) say it's because of racism - that "mass incarceration was the national response to the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, a white societal reaction to Black intrusions onto white 'space.' "
Gregory Kane, over at http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/kane120 says that there needs to be MORE black men in prison in Baltimore - that the focus is being taken elsewhere.
According to the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/20/national/20blackmen.html?ei=5088&en=d19e7818ebcbc179&ex=1300510800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1184682128-xn392XcfG0+9azd5rmdlRg), young black men are not being educated or in the workforce and they more often than others have absent parents.
Jaki McCalvin, wife of a prisoner and author of "What Happens When Brothers Go to Prison and Leave Sisters Alone" asserts that the system is unfair to black men, while at the same time granting "It is a form of slavery that, unfortunately, black men are volunteering for in record numbers."

This is really an African-American cultural crisis. Black family structure has weakened drastically since the '60s. So has the role once played by churches, civil-rights-oriented groups and black community organizations.
As long as we accuse "studious" black boys and those without a "dialect accent" of "trying to be white," things are not going to get better. There are African American federal judges, Cabinet members, ambassadors, federal, state and local elected officials, corporate CEOs, college and foundation presidents, national labor leaders and those distinguished in the arts. Yet, for most the role models are basketball players, rappers, neighborhood criminals or race hustlers such as Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson instead of genuine political leaders such as Sen. Barack Obama or Rep. John Lewis.
It's going to take a change one person at a time, trying to help young boys/men who have already started making mistakes -- and helping prevent the younger ones from doing likewise.

Answer 2

The biggest percentage of black men that are in prison are incarcerated because of Drug Related Crime. There is a big racial injustice with this when most current illicit drug users are white (just go to any big college campus). This is something that seems to be over-looked when looking at the statistics.

Also when black men are arrested for these drug related crimes, they are obviously put into jail for long periods of time. I'm sad to say this but a white counterpart in college would not get the same treatment.

Answer 3

Some seem to think doing crimes is cool and serving prison time a badge of honor.
It starts long before they are caught, poor grades, lack of respect for rules, trying to be tough, few positive role models and little hope for a bright future so they get into getting money quick selling drugs or stealing. It isn't just black youth any youth who grows up without a good family support system.

Answer 4

Well many people speculate that it is due to poverty but I beg to differ. There are more poor white people than there are poor blacks.

I grew up in a small town where jobs where scarce and so was money. Myself and my friends included where poor but we never stole anything or committed any crimes. And speaking from experience the whole poor=crime thing is out the window.

I think it mainly boils down to role models for them. Be it their father or some rapper, its seems none of them provide a good role model.

It could also just be that they are more prone to violence period.

Answer 5

I'd put it down to racial profiling. Due to economic and social reasons there are a higher proportion of black youth committing serious crimes than there are white youth. However, because blacks are a minority, as far as the actual numbers go there are more white youth committing crimes than black youth. But the police racially profile blacks, and don't profile whites. So you get a disproportionate number of blacks in prison. Nuff said.

Answer 6

unfortunately for most of them...prison is similar to the life they have always known...no discipline, living in fear and hate...

Answer 7

it is because white ppls dont like blacks and they feel insecured from them due to power n fame just like mohammed ali, mike tyson.. so they try to do their best to put them back in jail n spoil their careers ... this is white nature ...they cannot see black ppl succeed in their life

Answer 8

Probably because they haven't matured into old men yet. Give it time.

Answer 9

rebellion and crime is in their genes, it's genetic.
i could give you the truth, but my answer will be deleted.