Black & white: Inequal justice in Florida
Good to see the social injustice that I studied in college in the late seventies is finally getting some attention in the local paper in 2016.
Blacks and whites aren't treated equally in Florida's courtrooms.
That's not my opinion. It's the conclusion of a monumental yearlong analysis of tens of thousands of statewide records conducted by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The series' conclusion: Blacks consistently get harsher punishments than whites longer sentences and fewer chances to avoid incarceration altogether.
Keep in mind: We're not talking about blacks getting tougher treatment because they commit more crimes or harsher crimes. We're talking about blacks getting harsher treatment when they commit the same crimes
with the same prior offenses
even in the same counties.
On one comparison cited by the Herald-Tribune, two 17-year-olds robbed different gas stations in Lee County. Both brandished guns. Both had precisely three prior records as juveniles. Both made off with a few hundred bucks. The black guy got four years in prison. The white guy avoided prison altogether.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-racial-justice-florida-scott-maxwell-20161214-column.html