On the prison front, the nation’s law-and-order campaign race to lock up even minor offenders appears to be slowing. Despite the rising number of Blacks in prison, their percentages dropped to 39.5 last year from 43.9 percent in 2002. Prison reform advocates say part of the decline reflects a change in how inmates are classified by race and ethnic group and a possible decline in harsh sentences for small-time drug offenders. Meanwhile, financially strapped California is set to release nearly 20 percent of its prison population to ease overcrowding and the financial burden of incarceration.
The prison news is a mixed blessing, says David Bositis of the Joint Center, noting the economy is so tough today that getting a job, “is like winning the lottery.”
Also, the HIV/AIDS awareness and education campaign is picking up support from a broader base of people in Black communities, says Wilson of the AIDS institute.
