Trends in Correctional Control by Race and Sex

American prison populations have long been characterized by racial and ethnic disparities. U.S. Census Bureau data on incarcerated persons from 1870 through 1980 show that black incarceration rates ranged from three to nine times those of whites, depending upon the decade and region of the country.In recent years, racial disparities in imprisonment have decreased. This Council on Criminal Justice report updates and advances earlier presentations of data on disparities.