OUR NATION'S FUTURE DESERVES MORE THAN 'JUSTICE FOR SOME'

A recent report on juvenile incarceration in the United States ought
to spur courts and law enforcement to figure out how to put equity
into our judicial system.

The report, appropriately titled "And Justice for Some," was prepared
by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, a criminal justice
think tank.

Among its findings: Black youths are 15 percent of the American
population under 18 but comprise one-third of youth referred to,
formally processed by and convicted in juvenile court.

Blacks account for 40 percent of the youths sent to adult courts and
58 percent of the youths sent to adult prison.

Critics argue that statistics can tell any story that statisticians
wish to tell, and that the numbers really show that minority youths
commit more crimes than white kids.

Juvenile advocates accurately counter that minority youths are simply
more likely to be arrested and convicted than white kids.

The high rate of arrests in minority neighborhoods is due to several
factors, including law enforcement agencies' favored tactic of
large-scale drug busts. These typically target dozens of suspects in
low-income, minority neighborhoods, thus beefing up numbers of
non-white inmates.

But the most disturbing aspect of the report is that minority youths
are less likely to win in court.

According to the study, black youths charged with first offenses are
six times more likely and Hispanic youths almost three times more
likely to end up in jail than young white first offenders charged with
the same crimes.

In this respect, the study suggests that inequity in the courts is a
matter of economics, not just race. And that invites continued
criticism that U.S. courts offer the best justice money can buy.

"And Justice for Some" is a wake-up call for Congress and the courts,
which have a duty to ensure justice in our legal system.