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An observed correlation between race and crime has been noted in a number of countries. This has prompted controversy regarding the possible causes and social effects, and regarding which actions should consequently be taken. STATISTICS United States Statistics show that in the United States , blacks are much more likely than whites to be convicted of violent crime {Link without Title} , who are in turn more likely to be convicted of violent crime than Asians are (Rushton, 1995). Statistics also show {Link without Title} that "Blacks" are more likely to be involved in crime overall. Some experts point to the disparity in the numbers of arrests for "Black" people in the categories of drug crimes, theft, etc. ) The reasons for "Blacks" committing crime has to do with the inability to fit into "civilized" society. But critics of this argument point to a lack of understanding of the objective standard from which "Blacks" are defined as one grouping. Rushton's research also does not do much to address the issues of culture. It is well known that different groups within the supposed "Black" race have different rates of crime. For instance, African immigrants have lower rates of crime in the U.S. In fact, it is comparable to that of other immigrant groupings all of who have lower rates of crime than "Blacks" born in America. Immigrant groups usually have much tighter knit communities and express a willingness to help out members of their respective groupings to ensure higher rates of group success. Another critique of Rushton's findings and of experts who collect statistics on "Black" crime is that it is quite obvious most "Black" people are not in prison for violent crime. The vast majority of "Black" people are in prison because of drug crimes. 2. "The racially disproportionate nature of the war on drugs is not just devastating to black Americans. It contradicts faith in the principles of justice and equal protection of the laws that should be the bedrock of any constitutional democracy; it exposes and deepens the racial fault lines that continue to weaken the country and belies its promise as a land of equal opportunity; and it undermines faith among all races in the fairness and efficacy of the criminal justice system. Urgent action is needed, at both the state and federal level, to address this crisis for the American nation." Europe Muslims of mostly Moroccan origin constitute the overwhelming majority of prisoners in France, home to Europe's largest Muslim population, with recent estimates at 70%. Surrounding nations reportedly have similar figures. Its difficult to come to a precise number, as ethnicity-based censuses are banned in France, but Iranian-French sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar has made estimations using complexion, names, and religious traditions like prohibition of pork. This is of course pure supposition, and is not helped by the lack of official statistics. However if one was to assume that France, a country with a population similar to Great Britain had a 70% Muslim prison population they would need to account for the terrible crime detection rate, or the surprising lawfulness of the French. Britain has a prison population of just over 80,000, 8% of which are Muslim. France has a prison population of 55,382. If 70% were Muslims then only 16,600 or so French non Muslims would be in prison, a very impressive statistic if it were true. Other countries Nations originally established as 'New World' colonies seem to share a common thread - that aboriginal and indigenous peoples have among the highest incarceration rates of their countries' prison populations. And as is the case with African American prisoners, the reasons for such figures continue to be hotly debated. In Australia, Aborigines have the single highest imprisonment rate of any ethnicity, and make up more than a fifth (20%) of the prison population. {Link without Title} Per 100,000 people, that equates to about 1200-1400 prisoners. Next in line are Lebanese , Vietnamese and Pacific Islanders . First Nations make up about 2% of Canada's population, but account for 18% of the federal prison population as of 2000. {Link without Title} In New Zealand, 50% of the approximately 6,000 inmates identify as Maori, and Pacific Islanders about 12%, most of them classified as low or medium security inmates. {Link without Title} SEE ALSO
REFERENCES Source: Harrison, Paige M. & Allen J. Beck, PhD, US Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2004 (Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice, Oct. 2005), Table 12, p. 9.
EXTERNAL LINKS
Source: US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, Census 2000 Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File for states, Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: 2000 (PHC-T-a) Table 1, from the web at http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t1/tab01.txt , last accessed September 8, 2001.
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