NEWS

October 12, 2007
Blacks seek action on prison rates

Jacque Linley walked out of Thursday night's forum a frustrated woman.

A grandmother and Des Moines School District employee, Linley showed up looking for solutions to one of Iowa's longtime problems: an unusually high disproportion of blacks in prison.

What the Des Moines woman heard from among the nearly 100 people in attendance was all too familiar: debate, venting and lots of well-intended discussion.

"They've done enough talking," Linley said, heading to her car before the forum's end. "They need to get an action plan in place - tomorrow. You may start with only two or three things, but at least it's a start."

Thursday night's meeting at Corinthian Baptist Church in downtown Des Moines was the second organized by state and local agencies in the wake of a new study showing Iowa's rate of black incarceration compared with that for whites is greater than all states. The study, from the Washington, D.C.-based Sentencing Project, found the state's black incarceration rate is six times that of whites - the worst such disproportion in the country.

But to many in the audience, the study was nothing new. Disparate incarceration rates in adults and juveniles have been documented in Iowa for 25 years.

Like Linley, many who spoke at the forum said they wanted action. Still, many in the mostly black audience disagreed about what action was most necessary.

Black leaders say they are coming up with an action plan - after one more yet-to-be-scheduled forum but in time for this year's legislative session.

In the meantime, here's what some panel members and attendees said:

David Goodson, a longtime activist on the issue from Waterloo, said the state needs urgently to expand community-based correctional services for nonviolent offenders.

Goodson said there's no question the justice system is racist. Previous studies have shown minorities receive disparate treatment, from the setting of their bail to pre-trial release to sentencing to the length of time served.

Nonviolent offenders, particularly drug offenders, he said, deserve access to services, jobs and a chance to change.

Iowa Corrections Director John Baldwin said one of the best hopes of the future is addressing front-end problems. "By the time people work their way through the system, it's almost too late," he said.

However, Baldwin said, research shows that a distinct difference does exist in how minorities convicted of certain crimes are treated by the corrections system. "So if you are looking for ideas, that may be a place to start."

Perhaps the most controversial speaker was Polk County Judge Odell McGhee, a longtime prosecutor and judge who can be seen on public-access television in Des Moines presiding over truancy court.

McGhee placed responsibility flatly at the feet of the black community, saying its families and its churches had failed the young. "I know that's harsh, and I wish I could lay blame somewhere else, but I don't think I can," he said.

McGhee upset many in the audience - but also received wide applause - when he insisted that far too many black families had lost control of their children.

He urged parents to set and stick to rules, provide discipline, make sure their children have goals and support their kids' accomplishments.

"It would be nice if we let out more nonviolent offenders," he conceded. "But in this jurisdiction on average, you've committed a lot of crimes to get to prison."

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