The imprisonment rate in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest level in 31 years, according to new information released by the Department of Justice, driven by a significant reduction in the percentage of African-Americans and Hispanics being incarcerated.
The dive is due in large measure to legislation passed by President Trump. The First Step Act prison and criminal reform plan has seen the imprisonment rate in state and federal prisons for African-Americans at its lowest rate since 1995. For Hispanics, it is down 24%.
“Across the decade from 2009 to 2019, the imprisonment rate fell 29% among black residents, 24% among Hispanic residents and 12% among white residents. In 2019, the imprisonment rate of black residents was the lowest it has been in 30 years, since 1989,” the report reads.
“At year-end 2019, there were 1,096 sentenced black prisoners per 100,000 black residents, 525 sentenced Hispanic prisoners per 100,000 Hispanic residents and 214 sentenced white prisoners per 100,000 white residents in the U.S. Among sentenced state prisoners at year-end 2018 (the most recent data available), a larger percentage of black (62%) and Hispanic (62%) prisoners than white prisoners (48%) were serving time for a violent offense,” reads the report.
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