Vera Institute of Justice

Detention does not affect all people equally. First quarter data indicates that the likelihood of being arrested changes depending on one’s race and gender. Black men were 50 percent more likely than white men to be taken into custody. Black women were 55 percent more likely than white women to be arrested. 

Differences across race and gender also emerge when looking at how long people are held in jail after arrest in the first quarter of 2016. Black men were 53 percent more likely than white men to stay in jail more than three days. Black women, on the other hand, were 24 percent less likely than white women to stay in jail for more than three days. 

Overall, black men tend to be held in jail longer, representing 38 percent of people arrested and released within one day but 86 percent of people who stayed in OPP for over a year. Black women represented 20 percent of people arrested and released within one day but 5 percent of people who stayed in jail for more than a year. This suggests that disparities are not the same for black women and black men. Black women seem to be disparately impacted primarily at the arrest level whereas black men are disparately impacted at both the arrest level and in length of stay. 

As a result of these high arrest and detention rates, black people are overrepresented in OPP. Although black males represent 28 percent of the entire New Orleans population, black men made up 80 percent of people in OPP on March 2, 2016. What is evident in this data is that the current use of detention disproportionately harms black people in New Orleans. Coupled with evidence that detention is used unnecessarily for low and low-moderate risk arrestees, it is essential to coordinate strategies to eliminate racial disparities and safely reduce the jail population.