NCLR's Texas Criminal Justice Project to Analyze Disparities
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 7/23/2003
Latinos are overrepresented in the Texas prison system according to a new analysis issued by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). The brief, "Latinos and the Texas Criminal Justice System," was released at NCLR's Annual Conference held in Austin, Texas.The brief analyzes the most recent data on Latinos and the criminal justice system in Texas and underscores the disparities that exist between Latinos and others in terms of incarceration, release rates, and other issues.
"We are extremely troubled by these data," said President of NCLR Raul Yzaguirre. "These are not just statistics; these are our sons and daughters, members of our community, and future workers and taxpayers. We cannot complacently sit by and watch these numbers grow."
One of the most critical disparities highlighted in the brief involves the relationship between substance abuse issues and the recent incarceration explosion in the U.S. As the data show, the number of persons arrested for drug-related offenses in Texas increased 60% and the number of offenders incarcerated for drug offenses grew 272% between 1990 and 2000. While drug courts have been successful in reducing recidivism rates, Latinos are less likely than others to have access to them.
The findings indicate the need for alternatives to incarceration, such as substance abuse treatment and other approaches, to reduce the growth of the Latino prison population. "That is why we have established the NCLR Texas Criminal Justice Project to bring attention to these issues and to focus on expanding alternatives to incarceration," said Yzaguirre.
NCLR has partnered with grassroots organizations in Texas to advocate for policy and community solutions to reform sentencing disparities. Yzaguirre noted, "These community-based service providers offer a range of services, including substance abuse treatment and prevention, mental health services, youth counseling, and family services."
The NCLR Texas Criminal Justice Project is part of a larger campaign to reform sentencing disparities in the Texas Criminal Justice System. "What this analysis shows is the future of Texas depends on finding other morally responsible and cost-effective alternatives to incarceration," Yzaguirre concluded.
