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Arizona has almost 4 times as many Black children incarcerated compared to white kids, report shows

The report shows how the state's law enforcement disproportionately arrests Black youth, as Black people only make up 5% of Arizona's population.
Credit: 12 News
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ARIZONA, USA — Arizona has almost four times as many Black children in jail compared to white kids, a new report from The Sentencing Project shows.

The number shows how Arizona's police officers disproportionately arrest Black children, as Black people only make up around 5% of the state's population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2019.

The state has 205 Black children incarcerated per 100,000 youths, compared to 53 white kids incarcerated per 100,000, the report said. 

The report also found Arizona has 1.3 times more Latino kids imprisoned (32% of the population) and 1.2 times more American-Indian kids imprisoned (5% of the population) than white kids.

Nationally, Black, Latino, and American-Indian youth are also incarcerated at higher rates than white children, at 4.6, 1.4, and 2.8, respectively.

"Racial and ethnic disparities continue to plague our nation’s juvenile justice systems despite years of decarceration of youth indicating that more deliberate and expansive strategies to prevent juvenile justice involvement by youth of color are necessary to achieve racial justice," the report said.

The report suggested multiple measures be put in place in states across the nation to address the arrest disparity, including:

  • Implementing racial impact statements
  • Improving data collection and dissemination
  • Investing in positive community infrastructure for youth
  • Creating a two-year data cycle for law enforcement

"Deliberate and sustained commitment to end racial and ethnic disparities will be necessary to ensure a system that truly focuses on justice for all youth," the report said.

You can read the entire report here.

12News is celebrating the impact Black communities have had in Arizona during Black History Month. Learn more by watching our YouTube playlist here.

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