"In 1997, the most recent year for which state-to-state data are available, the ratio of African Americans to whites in [Minnesota] state prison was 25.09 to 1. This is the highest ratio of all states. In 2000, 37.2% of the state's prisoners were African American. By comparison, only 3.5% of the population of Minnesota was African American." (Council on Crime and Justice, "African American Males in the Criminal Justice System")

“Angela Arboleda, civil rights policy analyst for the National Council of La Raza…explained that of the six million people in the criminal justice system, two million are behind bars. Seventy percent of those 2 million are minorities, she said. Of that 70 percent, one in three are Latino men, who research indicates, are four times as likely to be sentenced to prison than white criminals. They are less likely to be released before trial, and also receive sentences that are generally 14 months longer than sentences for whites who [are] convicted of the same crimes.” (civilrights.org, “Research Shows Persistent Disparities in Criminal Justice System,” February 6, 2004)

“44% of all young African-American males (18-30 years old) living in Hennepin County were arrested and booked in the year 2000.” (Council on Crime and Justice)

“Our research shows that blacks comprise 62.7 percent and whites 36.7 percent of all drug offenders admitted to state prison, even though federal surveys and other data detailed in this report show clearly that this racial disparity bears scant relation to racial differences in drug offending. There are, for example, five times more white drug users than black. Relative to population, black men are admitted to state prison on drug charges at a rate that is 13.4 times greater than that of white men. In large part because of the extraordinary racial disparities in incarceration for drug offenses, blacks are incarcerated for all offenses at 8.2 times the rate of whites. One in every 20 black men over the age of 18 in the United States is in state or federal prison, compared to one in 180 white men.” (Human Rights Watch, “United States, Punishment and Prejudice,” April 29, 2004)

“About 20% of African-American men in Minnesota are ineligible to vote because they are incarcerated or on parole or probation for a felony conviction.” (Council on Crime and Justice)