Vera Institute of Justice

Overall, black men are held in jail longer than other arrested populations, representing 38 percent of people arrested and released within one day but 82 percent of people who stay in jail for more than a year. While factors such as charge type and criminal history can influence a defendant’s bail amount which in turn could lead to longer detention time, this data shows that black men are disparately incarcerated in the local jail.

Black women represent 21 percent of people arrested and released within one day but 6 percent of people who stay in jail for more than a year. This illustrates that disparities are not the same for black women and black men. When compared to the white population, black women are disparately impacted primarily at the arrest level whereas black men are disparately impacted at both the arrest level and in length of stay.