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Jeremiah asked this question about The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness:
Serious question: If blacks (and minorities in general) are disproportionately charged for drug offenses, why don't they stop using/selling drugs?
Alex In addition to the point that blacks and whites use drugs in similar proportions yet blacks and latinos are the ones going to prison for it in disprop…moreIn addition to the point that blacks and whites use drugs in similar proportions yet blacks and latinos are the ones going to prison for it in disproportionate numbers, another point the book makes to cover this question is that stigmatized populations internalize their stigma. "If the world is going to see me as bad no matter WHAT I do, I'll show them how bad I can be." Many black men feel that they can't win no matter what they do. Not to mention the fact that addiction is a tough thing to beat.

There's likely a project housing answer to this as well, as black populations were segregated into poorer neighborhoods, allowing for that type of behaviour to flourish.

It's moreso a systemic problem, not one related to a personal failing.(less)
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The New Jim Crow
by Michelle Alexander
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