Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice in Wisconsin

Pamela Oliver

The Magnitude of the Problem

Comparing International Incarceration Rates (Source: Sentencing Project)

World Incarceration Rates in 1995: Adding US Race Patterns

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

Austria

Belgium

Canada

China

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Japan

Netherlands

Sweden

Switzerland

Scotland

England & Wales

Ukraine

South Africa

Romania

Russia

US whites prison & jail 1995

US blacks prison & jail 1995

US whites prison 1995

US Blacks  prison 1995

Nationally, The Black Population is Being Imprisoned at Alarming Rates

• Upwards of 1/3 of the black male population is under the supervision of the correctional system (prison, jail, parole, probation)

• Estimated “lifetime expectancy” of spending some time in prison is 29% for young black men.

• About 9% of black men in their 20s are in prison• 7% of black children, 2.6% of Hispanic children , .8%

of white children have a parent in prison (at one time) – lifetime expectancy much higher

About Rates & Disparity Ratios• Imprisonment and arrest rates are expressed as the rate per

100,000 of the appropriate population• Example: In 1999 Wisconsin new prison sentences

– 1021 whites imprisoned, white population of Wisconsin was 4,701,123: 1021 ÷ 4701123 = .000217. Multiply .00021 by 100,000 = 22, the imprisonment rate per 100,000 population.

– 1,266 blacks imprisoned, black population of Wisconsin was 285,308. 1266 ÷ 285308 = .004437. Multiply by 100,000 = 444

• Calculate Disparity Ratios by dividing rates: 444/22 = 20.4 the black/white ratio in new prison sentence rates

US Prison Admissions by Race

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Pri

sion

Adm

issi

on R

ate

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Bla

ck/W

hite

Rat

io

White Rate Black Rate Ratio

National & Wisconsin Imprisonment Rates

0

200

400

600

800

1000

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

year in 1900s

Pri

sio

n A

dm

iss

ion

s P

er

10

00

00

BlackWisc WhiteWisc WhiteUS BlackUS

The 1970’s Policy Shift

• Shift to determinate sentencing, higher penalties

• LEAA, increased funding for police departments

• The drug warm incentives to police departments to make drug arrests

• Post-civil rights post-riots competitive race relations, race-coded political rhetoric.?

Imprisonment Has Increased While Crime Has Declined

• Imprisonment rates are a function of responses to crime, not a function of crime itself

• Property crimes declined steadily between 1970s and 2000

• Violent crime declined modestly overall, with smaller ups and downs in the period

The Drug War

• Most of the increase in imprisonment is due to drug offenses.

• Drug use rates have generally declined since the 1980s, while drug imprisonments have increased.

• Black adult drug use rates are only slightly higher than white (see next chart), while their imprisonment rates for drugs are enormous

• Among juveniles, blacks use illegal drugs less than whites, but black juveniles have much higher drug arrest rates.

Current Illicit Drug Use Among Adults (National Patterns)

• 6.6 percent for whites• 6.8 percent for Hispanics• 7.7 percent for blacks• 10.6 percent for American Indian/Alaska Natives (this

is largely marijuana, rates for other drugs are lower than other races)

• 11.2 percent for persons reporting multiple race• 3.2 percent for Asians• Source: 1999 National Household Survey on Drug

Abuse

Wisconsin Prison Admissions

Time Trends 1990-1999

(Preliminary Data)

Wisconsin Prison Admissions by Race

Wisconsin: Total Prison Admissions

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Rat

e pe

r 10

0,00

0 po

pula

tion

White, NH total Black, NH total Hispanic total American Indian Total Asian Total

Black

Asian

whiteHispanic

AmerInd

Proportion of Admissions Involving New Sentences

39%

18%

43%

0%

20%

40%

60%

New Only New + Viol Viol Only

White Admissions StatusWhites Wisconsin Total

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

prison admits per 100,000

White viol only White new only White viol+new

New Sentence Only

Violation Only

Violation + New

Blacks Admission StatusBlacks Wisconsin Total

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

prison admits per 100,000

black viol only Black new only Black viol+new

New Sentence OnlyViolation Only

Violation + New

Total admits, violations only

Wisconsin Total: Probation/Parole Violators

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Rat

e pe

r 10

0,00

0 po

pula

tion

White, NH total Black, NH total Hispanic total American Indian Total Asian Total

AmerInd

Black

Hispanic

white Asian

Total Admits, New Sentences Only

Prison Admission by Race 1990-1999, New Sentence OnlyWisconsin Total: New Prison Sentences Only

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Rat

e pe

r 10

0,00

0 po

pula

tion

White, NH total Black, NH total Hispanic total American Indian Total Asian Total

Black

Asian white

Hispanic

AmerInd

Total Admits, Whites

Wisconsin Total Imprisonment Rates, White Non-Hispanics

0

5

10

15

20

25

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Wisconsin: White NH Total Prison Admissions

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Total Admits, Offense Blacks

Wisconsin: Black NH Total Prison Admissions

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Total Admits, Hispanics

Wisconsin: Hispanics Total Prison Admissions

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Whites, Violators

Violators, White Non-Hispanics

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Black violators

Violators, Black Non-Hispanics

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

New Sentences, Whites

Wisconsin Total New Sentences, White NH

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Impr

ison

men

t Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other DrugsTheft

New Sentences, Blacks Offense

Wisconsin Total: New Sentences, Blacks NH

0

50

100

150

200

250

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Conclusions

• Huge racial disparities, especially black vs. white• Probation/parole violators returning to prison are a

major source of the rise• Blacks show steep rises in new sentences for

drugs, while whites show no increase• White new sentences are primarily for violent

offenses. • Black new sentences are primarily for drug

offenses.

County Comparisons

Compare Counties Whites New Sentences

Compare counties black, new sentences thick

Compare Counties, New Sentences B/w ratio

Compare counties, whites violations

Compare Counties, Blacks Violations

Compare Counties, Violations B/W ratio

Milwaukee New Totals

Milwaukee County Prison Admits (New Sentences Only)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Rat

e pe

r 10

0,00

0 po

pula

tion

White, NH total Black, NH total Hispanic total American Indian Total Asian Total

AmerInd

Black

Hispanic

whiteAsian

Milwaukee New Black

Milwaukee County New Imprisonment Rates, Black Non-Hispanics

0

50

100

150

200

250

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Milwaukee New White

Milwaukee County New Imprisonment Rates, White Non-Hispanics

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Impr

ison

men

t Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Dane New Totals All Races

Dane County Prison Admits (New Sentences Only)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Rat

e pe

r 10

0,00

0 po

pula

tion

White, NH total Black, NH total Hispanic total American Indian Total Asian Total

AmerInd

Black

Hispanic

white Asian

Dane New Black

Dane County New Imprisonment Rates, Black Non-Hispanics

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Imp

riso

nm

ent

Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

Violent

Robbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

Dane New White

Dane County New Imprisonment Rates, White Non-Hispanics

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Impr

ison

men

t Rat

e (p

er 1

00,0

00)

VIOLENT OFFENSES ROBBERY/BURGLARY DRUG OFFENSES LARCENY/THEFT OTHER OFFENSES UNKNOWN

ViolentRobbery & Burglary

Other

Drugs

Theft

County Drug Disparities by Time

Black/White Disparity Ratios For New Drug Sentences

0

50

100

150

200

250

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Racine Milwaukee WI Balance Dane Kenosha Waukesha Rock

67

218

15 20-24

35 29-31

Prison Entry From Dane County 1999, by offense and race

Prison entry from Dane County 1999

0 20 40 60 80 100

HomicideSexual Assault

AssaultsRobbery

ArsonCriminal

Theft/FraudBurglary

Prostitution/SexDrugs

WeaponsFamily/ChildPublic Order

DerivedOther/Unkown

Persons Sentenced to Prison

white black

Dane County Prison Admissions per 100,000 by race & offense, 1999 (Totals: Black 3361, White 87)

0 200 400 600 800 1000

HomicideSexual Assault

AssaultsRobbery

ArsonCriminal

Theft/FraudBurglary

Prostitution/SexDrugs

WeaponsFamily/ChildPublic Order

DerivedOther/Unkown

white black

Black Prison Admission Rates From Dane & Milwaukee Counties 1998-2000 (annualized), new sentences

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

HomicideSex AssaultAgg Assault

Other AssaultArmed RobberyOther Robbery

ArsonBurglary

Theft/FraudOrganized Crime

ProstitutionMfg/Del DrugInt Del Drug

Possess DrugOther Drug

WeaponsFamily/ChildPublic Order

DerivedOther/Unknown

Mke Black

Dane Black

White Prison Admission Rates, Dane & Milwaukee Counties 1998-2000 (annualized), new sentences only

0 2 4 6 8 10

HomicideSex AssaultAgg Assault

Other AssaultArmed RobberyOther Robbery

ArsonBurglary

Theft/FraudOrganized Crime

ProstitutionMfg/Del DrugInt Del Drug

Possess DrugOther Drug

WeaponsFamily/ChildPublic Order

DerivedOther/Unknown

Mke White

Dane White

Arrest Rates in Madison & Milwaukee, 1998-1999

Source: Uniform Crime Reports Data obtained from Wisconsin Office of

Justice Assistance

Annual Arrest Rate Per 100,000 Madison PD 1998-1999

68219

21384

44164

4909

01000020000300004000050000600007000080000

Arrests per 100,000

Black Juv White JuvBlack Adult White Adult

Adult Arrest Rates Per 100,000Average 1998-1999

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

Madi. PD Dane Cty Milw. PD Milw. Cty

WhiteAfr.Am.

Juvenile Arrest Rates Per 100,000 Average 1998-1999

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

Madi. PD Dane Cty Milw. PD Milw. Cty

WhiteBlack

Madison PD Average Annual Adult Arrest Rate by Race, 1998-2000

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000

serious

Mar. possess

other drug

theft

simple assault

other property

weapon, misc

alcohol

disorderly

other exc traf

Mad White Mad AfAm“Serious” = homicide, sexual & aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, arson, auto theft“Wrong place” = loitering, curfew, vagrancy, runaways

Madison PD Average Annual Juvenile Arrest Rate by Race, 1998-2000

0 5000 10000 15000 20000

serious

Mar. possess

other drug

theft

simple assault

other property

weapon, misc

alcohol

disorderly

wrong place

other exc traf

Mad AfrAm

Mad White

“Serious” = homicide, sexual & aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, arson, auto theft“Wrong place” = loitering, curfew, vagrancy, runaways

Black Adult Arrest Rates, Madison vs. Milwaukee 1998-2000 averages

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000

serious

Mar. possess

other drug

theft

simple assault

other property

weapon, misc

alcohol

disorderly

other exc traf

Mke AfAm

Mad AfAm

Black Juvenile Arrest Rates, Madison vs. Milwaukee 1998-2000 averages

0 5000 10000 15000 20000

serious

Mar. possess

other drug

theft

simple assault

other property

weapon, misc

alcohol

disorderly

wrong place

other exc traf

Mke Black

Mad AfrAm

White Juvenile Arrest Rates, Madison vs. Milwaukee 1998-2000 averages

0 2000 4000 6000

serious

Mar. possess

other drug

theft

simple assault

other property

weapon, misc

alcohol

disorderly

wrong place

other exc traf

Mke White

Mad White

Arrests 1997-1999 Averages: Adult Disparity Ratios

Wisc Total Dane Kenosha Milwaukee Racine Rock Waukesha WIBalanceSerious 12 18 10 10 9 9 34 15Marijuana Possession 4 13 6 4 3 5 13 8Other Drug Offenses 17 33 26 9 11 17 38 27Theft/Larceny 11 16 11 7 6 5 75 12Simple Assault 11 20 7 7 6 6 17 15Other Property 5 8 6 5 4 3 26 9Weapons & Misc 13 13 6 7 6 5 19 10Alcohol-Related 1 3 2 1 1 1 6 3Disorderly Conduct 7 12 4 5 2 5 17 9Wrong Place 1 44 3 23 10 6Other, Except Traffic 8 19 8 7 5 10 21 12

Total 6 13 7 5 4 7 20 9

Arrests 1997-1999 Averages: Juvenile Disparity Ratios

 

Wisc Total Dane Kenosha Milwaukee Racine Rock Waukesha WIBalanceSerious 5 7 3 4 4 6 9 8Marijuana Possession 2 4 2 1 1 2 3 4Other Drug Offenses 6 12 11 3 8 10 3 8Theft/Larceny 3 5 3 2 3 3 15 7Simple Assault 6 12 6 3 3 6 21 17Other Property 2 3 2 1 2 2 5 5Weapons & Misc 5 5 3 3 3 4 16 9Alcohol-Related 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 3Disorderly Conduct 4 7 4 3 3 4 7 8Wrong Place 3 3 3 2 0 4 5 6Other, Except Traffic 2 3 2 2 1 4 3 7

Total 3 4 3 2 2 4 6 7

Conclusions

• Drug war in Dane County (and Milwaukee County) is being fought “against blacks.”

• Probation/parole violation holds are a major source of arrests in Dane County, a major source of jail crowding.

• Large racial disparities in serious crimes indicate a real problem that needs to be addressed

Making Things Worse• High imprisonment rates (including longer sentences,

high rates of probation/parole revocation) are not a constructive way of dealing with the problem of non-violent property crimes (thefts) and drug offenses

• Enormous expenses to house these offenders in prison• Destruction of offenders’ lives and and mortal harm to

their families• Because of racial targeting of the drug war, the

harmful consequences of this policy are being concentrated in black communities, while the beneficiaries of the policy do not pay its price

Social Conditions, Political Processes, Crime, and Corrections

Laws,Penalties

PrisonInterests

Social &Demographic

Conditions

Crime

PoliticalProcesses

PoliceEnforcement

CorrectionsOutcomes

Feedback from Imprisonment to Social Conditions

Social Control, Deterrence

JudicialProcesses

Arrests

An Individual Life Course Model of Crime With Policing Added

JuvenileCrime

Peer &Normative

Context

AdultCrime

FatherAbsence/

FamilyDisruption

ParentalInvolvement in

Crime

ParentalUnemployment,

Economic &Educational

Disadvantage

AdultUnemployment/

Under-Employment

School Failure

Labelingand/or

InterventionProcesses

Intergenerational Effects

Imprisonment

JuvenileUnemployment

PolicingPractices

Imprisonment as a Cause of Crime?

CrimeUnemployment

FamilyDisruption

EconomicDistress

MiddleClass Flight

SpatialIsolation ofPoor Blacks

Deviant Culture(Gangs, Drug

Trade, Criminalityas a way of life)

ImprisonmentRates

+

+

++

+

+

+

+

+

+

+ due to Political Powerlessness

AggressivePolicing

LabelingEtc.

Processes+

+reduces ?

reduces ?