Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

eurekalert.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 333 posts

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#111

Post by watwut »

EpicEng wrote: post #58

I think that this trend, at least in part, has been influenced by a change in the way that we treat adolescent crime. For example, even when I was a kid (early 90's) you would not get arrested for getting into a fist fight at school. Nowadays, bam; call the cops. Get caught with some pot? Arrested. Get caught performing some petty vandalization? Arrested. Get caught at a party drinking as a minor? Arrested. We arrest…

They can really arrested you for drinking as a minor? In here a bar can get into trouble if they sell you a drink, but your only trouble are parents if they ever find out. And I remember that 18-19 years old Americans I knew indeed used to drink (and get wasted too).

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#112

Post by [deleted] »

giberson wrote: post #105

Laws in the US are far too strict. I am one of the people that are covered by this statistic, I was arrested around age 16. For curfew. Curfew, the law that says you can't be outside after an arbitrarily dictated time. Absolutely ridiculous. For what it is worth--my record has been "expunged" and this arrest has not affected my adult life at all.

[deleted]

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#114

Post by [deleted] »

Steer wrote: post #106
[deleted] wrote: post #99

[deleted]

Sorry if I misunderstand your point, but are you saying that the US is a police state because they wouldn't allow you to drive drunk (endangering other people) or with a gun in your car? I think it is a good thing that it hasn't hurt your ability to get employment since these things are not related, but I still don't understand the police state connection. What changes are you proposing? That everyone should be able…

[deleted]

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#115

Post by cbsmith »

newman8r wrote: post #86
ddlatham wrote: post #83

Most striking are the race differences revealed in the study, Brame says. In particular, the research points to a higher prevalence of arrest among black males and little race variation in arrest rates among females. ... By age 23, 49 percent of black males, 44 percent of Hispanic males and 38 percent of white males have been arrested. ... By age 23, arrest rates were 20 percent for white females and 18 percent and 1…

It's interesting the article downplays the discrepancy in the female arrest rates based on race.

It's because the author is bad at interpreting statistics and doesn't recognize that a 4% difference when the average rate is closer to 18% is a way bigger difference than a 5 or even 6% difference when the average rate is closer to 40%.

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#116

Post by Pxtl »

EpicEng wrote: post #58

I think that this trend, at least in part, has been influenced by a change in the way that we treat adolescent crime. For example, even when I was a kid (early 90's) you would not get arrested for getting into a fist fight at school. Nowadays, bam; call the cops. Get caught with some pot? Arrested. Get caught performing some petty vandalization? Arrested. Get caught at a party drinking as a minor? Arrested. We arrest…

Honestly, I'm not sure that police involvement for this stuff is a bad thing.

Schools are no longer equipped to handle violence between students, and it's questionable whether they ever were. They've lost many disciplinary tools they could use to deal with violent students, and even then it's hard to say that schools properly handled bullying or other student-on-student violence issues back in the "good old days".

Bringing in the police to handle those kinds of issues might actually be the appropriate response. Pulling out an arrest for it though seems excessive.

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#117

Post by [deleted] »

Tloewald wrote: post #89
voidlogic wrote: post #82

I really want to see a heat map of this phenomena. I have a feeling there is strong geographic and urban/rural differences here. I would also like to see the percentage of the population that has been arrested by age. This statistic is definitely not representative of where I live, that being said I don't disbelieve it, I just want to understand the details. P.S. I am also disgusted when children are charged as adult…

It's pretty hard to imagine you can get figures like this without it being prevalent in urban areas.

[deleted]

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#118

Post by opendais »

bodski wrote: post #98
opendais wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll get right on that as soon as I take over the world. You assume I'm happy about the arrest rates, I'm not. However, I don't have any real ability to change them besides not voting for "tough on crime" politicians. I already do that for all the good it does.

It possible that the ballot box is no longer the biggest tool in your kit. Stick your neck out, support a local cause that is affected by this perverse phenomenon if you can. Myself, I have been arrested multiple times and have convictions relating to environmental protest (terrorism?). Do not underestimate the empowerment that comes from taking the leap of faith to back up your convictions with acts of resistance.

I know I wouldn't be employable with a googlable arrest record. No thank you.

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#119

Post by byoung2 »

EGreg wrote: post #39
byoung2 wrote: post #2

Nearly half of black males and almost 40 percent of white males in the U.S. are arrested by age 23, which can hurt their ability to find work, go to school and participate fully in their communities. An arrest by itself, without an accompanying conviction, cannot be used to deny employment. 1. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm#I

Just to be clear, even if the charges are dropped, the arrest stays on your record. To get it expunged takes court motions: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/expungement-of-crimin...

I know a few people with felony arrests (charges dropped) who had the records expunged pretty easily. It was a simple form filed with the court, and the record was clean for later background checks. It's a hassle, sure, but it makes the rest of your life much easier.

Re: Study: Half of black males, 40% of white males arrested by age 23

#120

Post by nmrm »

morgante wrote: post #68
EpicEng wrote: post #58

I think that this trend, at least in part, has been influenced by a change in the way that we treat adolescent crime. For example, even when I was a kid (early 90's) you would not get arrested for getting into a fist fight at school. Nowadays, bam; call the cops. Get caught with some pot? Arrested. Get caught performing some petty vandalization? Arrested. Get caught at a party drinking as a minor? Arrested. We arrest…

> I think that this trend, at least in part, has been influenced by a change in the way that we treat adolescent crime. For example, even when I was a kid (early 90's) you would not get arrested for getting into a fist fight at school. Nowadays, bam; call the cops. Well, the people in this study were born in the early 80s. So I'm not sure any modern shifts that you point to are the distinctive factor.

I think they were born in the 80's. Which means they were kids in the 90's and early 2000's, at the very peak of the US prison population boom.

I could be wrong.

Post reply on HN