This Person is a Member of the US House of Representatives

[spankythehippo]

(not sure what the **** thing is all about)

He means taking a stroll through the lavender passageway. If you know what I mean.

Yep. I'm pretty sure that's the main factor. On the other hand, is the incarceration rate for whites and blacks the same when adjusted for poverty? My (admittedly limited) understanding is that it's still higher for blacks. A little scrounging online seems to indicate that black Americans are between two and three times as likely as whites to be poor, but are between 5 and 6 times as likely to be incarcerated. So I don't think socio-economic status can be the only explaining factor. There are clearly other variables at play, also operating along racial lines.

Ajax

It is not race that determines incarceration rate. This is a nature vs nurture issue. It is not in their nature to commit crime, they have been nurtured in that way. The son of Mother Teresa could live a life among hoodlums, and chances are, he will become a hoodlum.

In a way, this is a racial issue, but they are not incarcerated just for being black. It just so happens that they are very sensitive about their race, and are easy to lash out. Hence, higher incarceration rate. But this is not the only contributing factor. Socioeconomic status bears a lot of weight on criminal tendencies. But it IS a big factor.

Also, some people commit crimes to look cool. And it doesn't. It makes you look like a ****.