A study led by Robert Brame, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina, finds that nearly half of all Black males in the United States have been arrested by the age of 23. For White males, 38 percent had been arrested by the age of 23.
For women, 20 percent of Whites had been arrested by the age of 23. Only 16 percent of Black women had been arrested by age 23.
The study examined arrest records for persons between the ages of 18 and 23 for the years 1997 to 2008. Arrests were for truancy, underage drinking, and more serious offenses. Minor traffic violations were excluded.
The study, “Demographic Patterns of Cumulative Arrest Prevalence by Ages 18 and 23,” was published on the website of the journal Crime & Delinquency. It is available here.
