Disproportionate Minority Contact a Problem Throughout the Criminal Justice System

Racial disparities in the criminal justice system is a longstanding phenomenon. At every step of the criminal process, people of color are subject to disparate treatment, making them more likely to be charged, convicted and to serve longer sentences than their white counterparts.

In California 73 percent of the adult prison inmates are people of color and 87 percent of juveniles in state run facilities are people of color.

The war on drugs has exacerbated the racial disparities, with African Americans representing 59 percent of drug convictions, despite the fact that they are only 13 percent  of drug users and 38 percent of drug arrests.

Although some attention has been given to the impact these disparities have on juveniles, the ACLU-NC believes that understanding and addressing the causes of disproportionate minority contact are key to creating a criminal justice system that truly provides justice for all.
 
For more information, visit:

• The Sentencing Project

• The National Council on Crime and Delinquency

• ACLU National Racial Justice Project