Disproportionality Advocacy

Overuse of Jails

• Impact on Black and Brown Communities 
  • Nationally, Black Americans are jailed at almost four times the rate of white Americans.
  • Nearly 75% of sentenced offenders and those detained in jail before trial are there for nonviolent traffic, property, drug, or public order offenses.
  • Three out of five people in jail are legally presumed innocent, awaiting trial or resolution through plea negotiations.
• The Cycle of Jail/Prison Growth [PDF]