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The State of the Dream 2004: Enduring Disparities in Black and White

Imprisonment, continued

There is no greater threat to the social progress America has made over the last three decades than the dramatic increase in incarceration for African American men. In 2000, there were at least 13 states in which there were more African-American men in prison than in college.⁸ As studies from the Sentencing Project, the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, and many others have documented, the unconscionable rate of Black incarceration is the product of persisent racism in the criminal justice system.⁹

Many states bar felons from voting, so the high incarceration rate affects Blacks' ability to participate in electoral politics.

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United for a Fair Economy • Racial Wealth Divide Project 21