Title: Racial disparities in the criminal justice system: Eight charts illustrating how it’s stacked against blacks.
Headings: What It’s Like to Be Black in the Criminal Justice System
What It’s Like to Be Black in the Criminal Justice System
These eight charts suggest there are racial disparities at every phase of the justice system.
1. Black Americans are more likely to have their cars searched.
2. Black Americans are more likely to be arrested for drug use.
3. Black Americans are more likely to be jailed while awaiting trial.
4. Black Americans are more likely to be offered a plea deal that includes prison time.
5. Black Americans may be excluded from juries because of their race.
6. Black Americans are more likely to serve longer sentences than white Americans for the same offense.
7. Black Americans are more likely to be disenfranchised because of a felony conviction.
8. Black Americans are more likely to have their probation revoked.

Content: In the chart below, “jail” refers to defendants who were offered bail but could not post it; “ remanded” refers to defendants who were not given the option of posting bail. Advertisement
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Source: Vera Institute of Justice
4. Black Americans are more likely to be offered a plea deal that includes prison time. Advertisement
The same study in New York found that black defendants are more likely to be offered plea deals that include prison time than whites or nonblack minorities. Even after controlling for many factors, including the seriousness of charges and prior record, blacks were 13 percent more likely than whites to be offered such deals. Source: Vera Institute of Justice
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5. Black Americans may be excluded from juries because of their race.