Black/African-American

If you’re reading this in Oregon, where three out of four people in prison are white, you may be wondering why devoted a whole issue of Justice Matters to racial disparity. It’s because racial disparity -- the differences that lead to people of color being punished more than their white counterparts for doing the same thing -- is just as bad here as it is in the rest of the country. Racial disparity is unfair, unjust, and ultimately harmful to everyone in Oregon. We can’t possibly address the problems of our criminal justice system without taking on racial disparities.

We don't normally focus on Portland issues, but Portland's "Drug Free Zone" ordinance has attracted national attention. The Portland City Council is reviewing and voting on a proposal to renew and possibly expand the "Drug Free Zones." These "Zones" were created in 1992 with the intent to combat drug sales in problem areas. The ordinance allows courts, district attorneys, and the police to issue exclusions that prevent people from entering the "Zones." Portland’s history has demonstrated very serious problems with how "Drug Free Zones" are used.

Prisoners of a Hard Life, the latest comic book from the Real Cost of Prisons Project is now available on the web. Prisoners of a Hard Life: Women & Their Children packs solid information and compelling stories into sixteen graphic pages.

Focused on addressing racism in the criminal justice system, especially as it impacts African-Americans
PO Box 1489 Lake Stevens, WA 98258

Whether you call it a health issue or genocide, "Black on Black violence" is an enormous crisis in the Black community. 1 in 146 black males are at risk of violent death, whereas the ratio for white men is 1 in 189. What do we mean by "Black on Black crime?"