-Since 1970, the United States has experienced unparalleled growth in its prison population and a majority of those incarcerated are racial and ethnic minorities. In fact, between 1985 and 1997, minorities made up 70% of new prison inmates. 14 This statistic shows that minority populations clearly experience unfair treatment and discrimination. Latinos/as as a group are facing more and more discrimination in the criminal justice system leading to even greater disparities within the prison populations. Nowhere is this discrimination more obvious than when looking at statistics showing rates of Latino/a imprisonment and treatment within the criminal justice system.
Percent Latino Population Incarcerated By County
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Statistical Facts
Latinos compromise 13% of the general US population, but they compromise 31% of the people in the federal criminal justice system. 1
Latinos are detained before trial twice as often as whites, but they are the least likely among all groups to have a criminal history. 2
Latinos constitute almost one in five of all the people incarcerated in the United States. 3
During their life time, Latino men are four times as likely to be sentenced to prison as non-Hispanic White males. 4
Currently Latinos/as represent the fastest growing segment of the United States prison population. 5
In 2002, Latinos were more likely than Blacks and Whites to have a greater share of new prison admissions than prison releases. 6
In Texas, Latinos/as constitute one in three (33.9%) new prison admissions while only constituting one in four (26%) of all prisoners released, leading to a growing disparity between the Latino/a prison pollution and the White and Black prison populations. 7
Latinos perform better on parole than Whites and Blacks, but they are often less likely to be released onto parole. 8
During 2001, the number of Whites and Blacks sentenced to death decreased while the number of Latinos/as sentenced to death increased. 9
Despite equal rates of drug use, Latinos/as are twice as likely as Whites to be admitted to prison for drug related offenses. 10
In Texas, Latinos have less access to special drug courts that offer help with rehabilitation and treatment than both Whites and Blacks. 11
In Texas, the number of Latino/a youth in the custody of the juvenile system was two-and-a-half times the number of White youths in custody. 12
Even though Latinos/as are less likely than those in other groups to use alcohol in their lifetime, they constitute two in five DUIs. 13
