THE IMPACT ON MINORITIES

In 1994, whites accounted for nearly two-thirds of those who used cocaine at least once a month. Just over 22% of monthly cocaine users were black, and about 16% were Hispanic. (National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1995)

Although the majority (52%) of crack cocaine users are white, 90% of those in Federal prisons for crack cocaine offenses are black. (The Sentencing Project, 1995)

In 1992, 55% of those convicted of felony drug charges in state courts were black; less than half (44%) were white. (Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 1994)

The 1994 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse showed that 26 million people had used an illicit drug in the past year. Of the regular (monthly) drug users, almost 9.6 million were white, 1.7 million were black and 1 million were Hispanic. (National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1995)

About one in three (32%) young black males age 20-29 is under some type of correctional control (incarceration, probation or parole). The proportions for young white males is 1 in 15; for young Hispanic males, 1 in 8. (The Sentencing Project, 1995)

In 1991, nearly a quarter of youth 16-24 with less than four years of high school were unemployed. Over 60% of those arrested and charged for crimes that year were between the ages of 13 and 29. In Washington, D.C., the unemployment rate for black youth is 22%; in New York State, the rate is 28%. A recent national survey showed that a majority of Americans (64%) believe that improving job opportunities and training programs could make a difference in drug-related crime. (Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, 1993; Peter D. Hart Research Associates Survey, February 1994; Children?s Defense Fund, 1993)