There is no shortage of studies about mass incarceration and the harmful social effects it causes, but a recent study by the Brooking’s Institution’s Hamilton Project highlights a disturbing trend regarding its disproportionate impact on African-American men. The study points out that the social and economic costs of incarceration are too high and affect poor and minority communities in a much more drastic way than the general population.

As reported by the Grio, the study finds that there is a 70 percent chance that an African-American man who does not earn a high school diploma will wind up in jail before he reaches his mid-30′s. This is often referred to as the school-to-prison pipeline. The study also points out that an African-American child under the age of 14 has a 50 percent chance of having his father go to prison. This sits in stark contrast to the experience of white children who only face a 10 percent chance of losing a father to the mass incarceration epidemic.

The Hamilton Project was founded on the idea that “long term prosperity is best achieved by fostering economic growth and broad participation in that growth.” The goal of the study is to point out how mass incarceration perpetuates a system that marginalizes individuals, devastates communities, and facilitates inequality.

Hopefully this percentage will being to decrease sooner than later. Do you see the effects of these findings in your community?