A Tale of Three Cities: The State of Racial Justice in Chicago

Justice

-While both violent and property crimes are down in Chicago and nationally, incarceration rates have skyrocketed due to policy shifts, aggressive policing strategies, and mandatory minimum sentencing. Illinois prisons are operating at 150 percent of maximum capacity, and the state has one of the most overcrowded prison systems in the nation.

-In Illinois, black residents are 9 times more likely to go to prison than whites.  

-Chicagoans of color are subject to more police surveillance, suspicion and intervention than whites. Although blacks and Latinos have their vehicle searched at four times the rate of their white counterparts, they are half as likely to be in possession of illegal contraband or a controlled substance.

Health

-Health outcomes are improving across Chicago, but inequalities between blacks and whites are either stagnant or widening on major indicators like heart disease, stroke, and mortality in general.

-Racial and ethnic disparities persist in infant mortality and low birthweight – outcomes often associated with socioeconomic status and access to prenatal care.

-Many residents on the south and west sides live in healthcare provider and pharmacy “deserts,” with no access to either within a half-mile to mile radius.

 

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