- Title: USA: Sharp rise in U.S. Latino prison population - report
- Date: 20th March 2009
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) MARK HUGO LOPEZ, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AT PEW HISPANIC CENTER, TALKING WITH REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARK HUGO LOPEZ, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AT PEW HISPANIC CENTER, SAYING: " Between 1981 and 2007, the share of all federal offenders who are Hispanic has risen from about 24 percent in 1991 to 40 percent in 2007. So they ha
- Embargoed: 4th April 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVA5N691X0NZCC27KACAW2JCM6NL
- Story Text: Latino inmates now make up 40 percent of the total federal prison population and are the largest ethnic group convicted of federal crimes, according to a report compiled by the Pew Hispanic Centre last month.
"Between 1981 and 2007, the share of all federal offenders who are Hispanic has risen from about 24 percent in 1991 to 40 percent in 2007. So they have really almost doubled their share of all sentenced federal offenders. Also, Hispanics represent the single largest group of sentenced federal offenders. The 40 percent share Hispanic is larger than the white share at 27 percent and the black share at 23 percent in 2007," says Mark Hugo Lopez, an associate director at the Pew Centre, which is a non-partisan research organisation.
Lopez, a co-author of the Pew report, explains that the most common convictions among Latino inmates were for immigration offenses (48 percent), with drug related offenses a close second.
"The one type of crime for which most people were sentenced were drug related crimes, either possession or trafficking and drugs. However, the second most common offense that someone was sentenced for were immigration crimes. And among those sentenced for immigration crimes, fully 70 percent were sentenced for illegally entering the country or residing in the United States without authorisation," says Lopez.
Even though Latinos made up only 13 percent of the U.S. adult population in 2007, the Pew center report attributes the rise in this ethnic groups presence in federal prisons to large increases in illegal immigration into the United States and the tougher enforcement of immigration laws.
Joanne Lin, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), blames the increase in the number of Latinos charged with immigration crimes in federal prison on tougher immigration laws, specifically an initiative by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice, entitled "Operation Streamline".
"The fact that nearly half of the Latino prisoners have been convicted of immigration offenses really raises the question of why has there been a spike in the Latino federal convict population and why it is directly tied to immigration offenses. The answer is because of Operation Streamline, which is a federal government initiative that has been pushed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice in four border states; California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas," says Lin.
The U.S. government says Operation Streamline is an initiative that targets those who enter the United States in violation of the law. Critics of "Operation Streamline" say the initiative funnels off resources that are needed to combat other forms of more serious crime.
"I think our criminal justice resources need to be tied to both the gravity, the severity of the crime, whether there is a victim involved, what the harm is to the victim. And, from our perspective, the overemphasis on immigration, certainly raises a red flag," says Lin.
Immigration reform, particularly what to do with some 12 million mostly Latino illegal immigrants living and working in the shadows, has been a highly divisive issue in the United States in recent years and divisions over the issue run deep. Hard-liners decry illegal immigrants as a drain on resources and want them rounded up and sent back to their countries of origins.
Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, a conservative research group, says it is important to fully enforce immigration laws, especially in the current climate of economic uncertainty.
"Funds can always be spent elsewhere. But the good thing about immigration enforcement is that it frees up jobs for less educated Americans precisely when we need to, given the economy. It also takes some pressure off of schools and healthcare precisely when local and state governments are feeling a lot of financial pressure," he explains.
"So it would seem that right now, this is a great time to enforce immigration laws and try and make life better, at least for low wage workers in the Untied States as well as state and local governments," adds Camarota.
President Barack Obama backed a comprehensive immigration reform proposed by Bush two years ago, seeking tougher border security and a path to citizenship for 12 million illegal immigrants. The proposal was killed by Republicans in Congress.
Activists on both sides of the immigration debate say Obama would be unwise to reopen a divisive fight over immigration as the country sheds half-a-million jobs a month amid the worst recession in eight decades.
Opponents say Obama is unlikely to tackle comprehensive reform until the second or third year of his term. Advocates say he could raise the issue as early as September if a stimulus package currently before Congress succeeds in stemming the economic slide, and if progress meeting other policy goals such as healthcare reform is made. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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