NCJ Number
138181
Date Published
1991
Length
59 pages
Annotation
An independent commission with a membership consisting entirely of minority group members was convened in 1990 by the 200 Years of the Penitentiary Project of the American Friends Service Committee to examine the criminal justice system and recommend reforms.
Abstract
Commission members toured one prison, held two public hearings, and held a third hearing inside another prison. They also reviewed research materials. Results revealed that minority group members make up the majority of inmates and the majority of victims in the United States. Unemployment and idle time is a source of the high levels of street crime in communities of color. To address these problems, offenders and victims must understand the pattern of injustice that binds them together. Religious organizations must also have a central role. Recommended actions include a broad-based information campaign, comprehensive programs to meet social needs through community- based organizations, training of criminal justice personnel regarding cultural diversity and sensitivity, expansion of alternatives to institutionalization, improved inmate programs, strengthened youth programs, and many additional measures. Footnotes and 87 reference notes