JUSTICE SYSTEM STACKED AGAINST YOUTHS OF COLOR

University of Louisville researchers found recently that while minorities
account for about 10 percent of Kentucky's youth population, they account
for almost 39 percent of those awaiting trial in juvenile detention centers
and about 27 percent of those serving sentenced in detention centers.

These numbers, which are higher than the national average, are staggering
and demonstrate the extent to which the state's juvenile justice system is
stacked against minority youth. It should come as no surprise that the
adult criminal justice system -- under whose jurisdiction one of every
three African-American men age 20-29 finds himself -- perpetuates this tragedy.

Many are imprisoned on non-violent drug possession charges. A U.S. Public
Health Service study found that African-Americans are about 13 percent of
monthly drug users, roughly the same as their percentage of the nation's
population.

How can it be, then, that 35 percent of those arrested for drug possession
are African-Americans, 55 percent of those convicted of drug possession are
African-Americans and 74 percent of those imprisoned are African-Americans?

The racial disparity in who gets arrested, tried, plea bargained, convicted
and sentenced -- and for how long -- is no more an accident than statistics
showing that African-American and other racial and ethnic minority
motorists are stopped and searched disproportionately by Lexington police.

Jeff Vessels, Executive director

American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky

Louisville