Study Reveals that Latinos are 2x More Likely to Receive Drug Prison Sentence than Whites

From [HERE] It's no secret there are ethnic and racial disparities in the U.S. prison system. 

A study recently examined the large gap concerning drug sentencing in American prisons. The research, published by Recovery, an organization that connects people with resources to help them deal with substance abuse and behavioral disorders, used by data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.  

One of the largest racial disparity in drug sentencing for Latinos was related to meth convictions. Believe it or not, Hispanic offenders received almost twice as many months on average than white offenders. Interesting enough, a study conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health back in 2015, showed that only 9.2% of Hispanic individuals had used illicit drugs in the past month, compared to 10.2% of white respondents.

The study also highlighted how Latinos accused of drug offenses were more likely to receive a prison sentence than White offenders. Just how much more, you ask? For Latinos, about 73% of the time there was a prison sentence, compared to just 36% for White defendants, and about 46% for Black defendants. That's nearly double the amount as White offenders, who were most likely to simply receive a fine. 

This racial gap in drug sentencing among Hispanics is interesting when you take into account their criminal history. Unlike any other racial community, Latinos were less likely to have a criminal history. 64% of Latino drug offenders had a prior criminal record, compared to 85% for White drug offenders and 95% for Black offenders. The same trend could be seen for Latinas compared to other racial groups. 

During Donald Trump's presidential campaign, he pledged to cut down crimes committed by immigrants. The former businessman went as far as labeling Mexican immigrants as 'drug dealers,' 'criminals' and 'rapists.' "They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists," Trump said in his announcement speech. 

In reality, how much of that is true? Sorry to break it to you Trump but only 23% of drug offenders in the United States are immigrants, while the remaining 69% are U.S. citizens. While for some it might seem like a steep number, only about 1.6 percent of immigrant men aged 18 to 39 are incarcerated, the American Community Survey reported back in 2010. [MORE]