Colorado Kids on the Fast Track -- To Prison

Is this another Colorado paradox?

A report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, based in Oakland, Calif., shows Colorado with a relatively high number of African-American youth in some kind of juvenile detention facility, 1,150 of every 100,000. It's one of only 15 states where the rate is above 1,000, and the national average is 754.

But looked at another way, Colorado is just about average. African-Americans are overrepresented in the justice system, but by how much varies a great deal from state to state. Nationally, for every white youth in detention, there are 4.5 blacks. Colorado, at 4.7, is higher than 18 states and lower than 25.

The explanation? Colorado puts more white kids in custody than all but six other states and the District of Columbia; 268 per 100,000, compared with the national rate of 190.

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Corrections Sentencing, also posted excellent research from the National Criminal Justice Reference Center..if you get a chance.