Focus: The Philadelphia criminal justice system exhibits a consistent trend of providing unequal treatment based on race, affecting admission rates, duration of stay, and overall population demographics. Minorities are admitted to jail at a rate four times higher than other racial groups, even for comparable offenses, and serve longer sentences at a disproportionate rate. Furthermore, minorities are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of individuals of other races.
References
THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE. RACIAL INJUSTICE REPORT: DISPARITIES in PHILADELPHIA’S CRIMINAL COURTS from 2015 – 2022. June 2023, phillyda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/RACIAL-INJUSTICE-REPORT-2023.pdf.
Stone, Sherry. “DA Report: Blacks in Philly Experience Much More Criminal Justice Disparities.” The Philadelphia Tribune, 19 June 2023, www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/da-report-blacks-in-philly-experience-much-more-criminal-justice-disparities/article_78173f0b-c9f2-53c5-84b9-2bf31fac2c3f.html.
Brown, Stacy M. “Report Reveals That Racial Disparities in Incarceration Persist, despite Progress.” The Philadelphia Tribune, 20 Oct. 2023, www.phillytrib.com/report-reveals-that-racial-disparities-in-incarceration-persist-despite-progress/article_fc2cb138-fc53-5a6b-88f4-f37100ba8c7e.html.
Melamed, Samantha. “The American Prison Was Born in Philadelphia. It Was Racist from the Start.” Https://Www.inquirer.com, 8 June 2022, www.inquirer.com/news/inq2/more-perfect-union-philadelphia-solitary-prison-population-incarceration-20220608.html.
Caiola, Sammy. “Racial Disparities in Philly Prisons Persist, despite 47% Decline in Incarcerated Population.” WHYY, 23 Mar. 2023, whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-prisons-racial-disparities-persist/.
“PHILADELPHIA AWARDED $500,000 MACARTHUR GRANT TO HELP ELIMINATE RACIAL AND ETHNIC INEQUITIES IN JUSTICE SYSTEM.” States News Service, 19 Jan. 2022, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A689932160/AONE?u=sjuniv&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=f6cb3b62.
Mccoy, Evelyn, et al. Efforts to Reduce Jail Populations in Philadelphia Implementation Lessons from the Safety and Justice Challenge. Mar. 2023, www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/Efforts%20to%20Reduce%20Jail%20Populations%20in%20Philadelphia.pdf.