Read the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 27, 2010
Contacts: LaWanda Johnson, ljohnson@justicepolicy.org, (202) 558-7974
x308
Adam Ratliff, aratliff@justicepolicy.org, (202) 558-7974 x306
Communities of color and low-income
communities disproportionately affected by the justice system in the
nation’s capitol
New report says D.C.
has greatest income inequality of any major city in the country,
suffering from major economic and racial disparities that contribute to
high rates of justice-involvement.
Washington, D.C.—If you are poor or a person of color living in the
nation’s capitol, you are more likely to be involved with the justice
system, according to a new report released today by the Justice Policy
Institute (JPI). A
Capitol Concern: The disproportionate impact of the justice system on
low-income communities in D.C. examines the connection
between
poverty and incarceration in the District of Columbia. JPI found that
people of color and low-income communities are disproportionately
arrested and incarcerated in the District; some Wards of D.C. are
particularly affected both by poverty and the justice system; and that
programs that help build healthy, safe communities – such as housing,
education, and mental health – have seen their funding cut at the same
time that funding for law enforcement and the attorney general’s office
has increased. JPI will release a national report this fall, which will
look more broadly at the issue of incarceration and poverty and what
public policies and protective factors can lead to improved community
well-being and less justice-involvement. This national report will use
the information on the District to illustrate how poverty and
incarceration are interrelated in complex ways.
Since 2008, spending on the Metropolitan Police Department and the
Office of the Attorney General increased more than 2 percent and 11
percent respectively, while funding for schools, mental health services
and housing has dropped. Research shows that investing in front-end
services and programs that keep people out of the justice system is
more effective at improving public safety and promoting community
well-being than law enforcement and incarceration.
“In an economic downturn like we are currently experiencing,
social institutions and supports that improve life outcomes and
community health are often the first to get cut, despite what we know
about their ability to both improve public safety and help the most
vulnerable among us,” stated Tracy Velázquez, executive director
of the Justice Policy Institute. “Inasmuch as government priorities are
reflected in fiscal decisions, residents of the District should be
concerned that officials are increasing spending on law enforcement at
a time when crime is down, instead of sustaining people and
communities.”
The report’s findings include:
- Despite an increasing need for affordable and
supportive housing for residents during tough economic times, the
budget for the District’s Department of Housing was cut more than 30
percent in the last two years, with the Housing Production Trust Fund
losing $42 million in 2008 to $18 million in 2010, a cut of more than
50 percent.
- D.C. has one of the highest rates of homelessness in
the country; estimates of the homeless population range from 12,000 to
17,800 over the course of a year. Forty-seven percent of homeless
people in D.C. are “chronically homeless.”
- Even though D.C. Public Schools continue to struggle
with achieving its goal of providing quality education to every child,
spending on education in the District has fallen 17 percent ($170
million) since 2008. Research shows that states that invest more in
education have lower crime rates than states that spend less.
Wards with the lowest median income and highest percentage of people of
color have the lowest math and reading proficiencies and the most
people without high school degrees.
- Despite a clear need for mental health services,
especially for low-income populations and at-risk children and teens,
the city continues to cut funding in this area. The D.C. Department of
Mental Health’s budget was cut 17 percent from 2008 to 2010. Over 5,000
D.C. children in need of mental health treatment do not receive it.
- The Department of Parks and Recreation provides vital
youth programming and maintains safe spaces for children to play. Yet
funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation fell almost 20
percent from 2008 to 2010. These programs are especially valuable to
children and teens whose families cannot afford private camps, classes,
or after school programs.
"It's sad but not surprising that when we cut funding for affordable
housing, and refuse to make investments in needed social services,
poverty increases," says Defeat Poverty D.C. campaign director Michael
Edwards. "The good news is, we're just weeks away from an election in
which our city's leaders have an opportunity to tell us where-- and
with whom-- they stand: Will they invest in our children and our future
by ending the destructive cycles of poverty once and for all? Or will
they stand idly by and do nothing as the number of people who can't put
food on their tables or pay their bills goes up?"
Additionally, of the District’s eight wards, wards 7 and 5 –
those with the highest percentages of people of color and the highest
unemployment rates – also saw the highest increase in arrests.
Despite a significant decrease in crime in the District, misdemeanor
arrests increased by 83 percent, with 81 percent of the arrests being
for nonviolent offenses. As most of these arrests occurred in the wards
with the lowest average incomes and the highest proportions of people
of color, they result in communities of color being disproportionately
represented in jails and prisons: while only slightly more than half
(54 percent) of the District’s population is African American, 90
percent of the people under the supervision of D.C.’s Department of
Correction are African American. African American youth make up 96
percent of those committed to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation
Services; the other 4 percent were Latino youth.
“With these factors in place – lack of employment, lack of housing, low
performing schools, and lots of police – these poor communities are
caught in a downward spiral,” says Eduardo Ferrer of D.C. Lawyers for
Youth. “In order to ensure healthier, safer communities we must invest
in people and develop strategies other than incarceration to deter and
address anti-social behavior.”
For healthier, stronger, and safer communities, the report proposes the
following recommendations to improve D.C. policies and practices:
Focus law enforcement
resources on addressing serious public safety challenges. An end
to targeted policing in low-income communities and communities of
color, and issuing citations instead of arrests for minor offenses,
would help reduce the disproportionate representation of people of
color in the criminal justice system, and better utilize public
resources.
Ensure that all residents
have access to quality, affordable housing. As stable,
affordable housing is the foundation for education, employment, and
access to other social programs and services, people in such living
environments are better able to make investments in themselves, their
families, and their neighborhoods.
Ensure that all children
have access to quality public education in their neighborhood. Quality
education,
especially for students from low-income families, improves
public safety and overall prosperity.
Create opportunities for
all residents to engage in significant employment, and increase job
skills through training programs. People with more employment
opportunities and earning potential would be better able to make other
investments in their communities, their families, and themselves.
Ensure that all people
have access to health care, mental health care, and substance abuse
treatment in their communities. People who are healthy and have
access to treatment are less likely to become involved in the justice
system and more likely to have an improved quality of life.
Create more opportunities
for youth to be involved in positive activities during after-school
time and throughout the summer. After-school and summer time
activities, mentoring programs, and employment increase a youth’s
academic, social, and emotional well-being and reduce the risk of
involvement in illegal behaviors.
Ensure that all community
members – especially those living in low-income neighborhoods – have
access to affordable public transportation options. Affordable
transportation enables people to access jobs and services that may not
be available in their community, improving their quality of life and
public safety.
“It is our hope that this brief encourages conversations between
policymakers, community members and advocates,” said Velázquez.
“Everyone in D.C. has a stake in reducing both poverty and
justice-involvement for those who live here, and improving community
well-being in every Ward of the District.”
For additional information, please contact LaWanda Johnson at (202)
558-7974 x308 or ljohnson@justicepolicy.org, or Adam Ratliff at (202)
558-7974 x 306, aratliff@justicepolicy.org. For more on JPI’s research,
please visit our website at www.justicepolicy.org.
The Justice Policy
Institute (JPI) is a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to
reducing society’s use of incarceration and promoting just and
effective social policies.
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