Minorities in Prison

By: Mark Molina, Jose Abascal, Joshua Philips, Tyron Townsend

Statistics

• According to El Paso times newspaper more than 70 percent of inmates in Texas prisoners are black or Hispanic, nearly double their percentages in the general population. A report by Washington D.C. Also found that blacks are five times more likely to go to prison.

Findings

• The report also found that Hispanics have a rapidly increasing presence in Texas prisons. In 2002, Hispanics accounted for the greatest amount of new admissions which was 34 percent and the smallest percent of releases which was 26 percent.

More Findings

• Also according to the report state house and senate leaders are considering expandingprobation and drug treatment programs to help the state's rising prison population.

Study Finds

• A 15 year old study by U.S. Sentencing Commission found that black generally receive harsher punishments than whites. And unequal rights against Minorities still exist in the prisons.