scholarly journals Race and the Geography of Opportunity in the Post-Prison Labor Market

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zawadi Rucks-Ahidiana ◽  
David J Harding ◽  
Heather M Harris

Abstract Research on racial disparities in post-prison employment has primarily focused on the differential effects of stigma on blacks and whites, but we otherwise know little about racial differences. This paper examines racial differences in post-prison employment by industry and geography. We find that the formerly incarcerated are most likely to find work in a small number of “felon-friendly” industries with formerly incarcerated whites having higher employment rates than blacks. Whites are more likely to be employed in felon-friendly industries associated with the primary labor market, particularly construction and manufacturing, which have higher wages and more job stability. To explain these racial differences, we investigate the degree to which employment among the formerly incarcerated is related to where felon-friendly employers are located and where individuals who work in felon-friendly industries live. We find that post-prison employment is associated more with proximity to workers in felon-friendly industries than with proximity to employers. Because formerly incarcerated whites are more likely to live near current workers in felon-friendly industries, the geography of opportunity in the post-prison labor market contributes to the racial disparity in post-prison employment.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip D. Clingan

Youths under 18 years get trapped into the Juvenile Justice System after being suspected of committing a delinquent or criminal act. The United States tops in Juvenile arrests in the world. States like West Virginia, Alaska, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wyoming have the highest number of juveniles. However, an estimated 2.1 million youths under 18 years were arrested in the United States during a single year. This paper aims to address the current racial differences that exist within the criminal justice system. By addressing challenges like youths of color are more likely to be committed than white youths into the juvenile system will assist in curbing racial disparity. Statistics reveal that 42% of youths in the placement holdings are black youths, even though black youths make up for 16% of youths all over the United States. In California alone, African American juveniles take 27.5% while whites take up 15%. Even though the system’s laws contain no racial bias, research shows that discrimination can occur where the system allows criminal justice officials discretion in handling offenders. Black youths take up for 15% of the total number of youths in the USA get they have the highest juvenile detentions of 42%, but it is difficult to deny these records since there is evidence like arrest and imprisonment records to back up this claim. The racial disparities exist from targeting the blacks, arrest, sentencing, imprisonment, and release. These actions promote discrimination among the black youths, and black youths are likely to get significant sentencing compared to whites for the same crimes committed. Different states in the United States have different racial disparities, California and Texas, blacks serve long sentences, unlike the whites. There are various causes of racial disparities like; some black residences are known for crime, and they have huge offence rates, unequal access to resources, judicial decisions, and racial prejudice. After the research, it was evident that racial disparity exists, and it can only be corrected by looking at the root cause of the problem widely, which is discrimination. Race plays a significant role when it comes to juvenile detentions. Youths of color are four times more probable to be detained, unlike white youths. The research designed a method of tracking racial disparities via a hypothetical juvenile jurisdiction criminal justice system. The paper will extensively dive into juvenile population characteristics, juvenile justice system structure, law enforcement, juvenile crime, juveniles in court, juveniles on probation by the state, juveniles in the correction by the state and foreign nations, and an analysis of all the findings. The extensive research will be able to answer all the questions to the problem of racial disparity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Reinard ◽  
David R. Nerenz ◽  
Azam Basheer ◽  
Rizwan Tahir ◽  
Timothy Jelsema ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE A number of studies have documented inequalities in care and outcomes for a variety of clinical conditions. The authors sought to identify racial and socioeconomic disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), as well as the potential underlying reasons for those disparities, which could serve as areas of focus for future quality improvement initiatives. METHODS The medical records of patients with an ICD-9 code of 350.1, signifying a diagnosis of TN, at the Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG) in the period from 2006 to 2012 were searched, and clinical and socioeconomic data were retrospectively reviewed. Analyses were conducted to assess potential racial differences in subspecialty referral patterns and the specific type of treatment modality undertaken for patients with TN. RESULTS The authors identified 652 patients eligible for analysis. Compared with white patients, black patients were less likely to undergo percutaneous ablative procedures, stereotactic radiosurgery, or microvascular decompression (p < 0.001). However, there was no difference in the likelihood of blacks and whites undergoing a procedure once they had seen a neurosurgeon (67% vs 70%, respectively; p = 0.712). Blacks and whites were equally likely to be seen by a neurologist or neurosurgeon if they were initially seen in either the emergency room (38% vs 37%, p = 0.879) or internal medicine (48% vs 50%, p = 0.806). Among patients diagnosed (268 patients) after the 2008 publication of the European Federation of Neurological Societies and the American Academy of Neurology guidelines for medical therapy for TN, fewer than 50% were on medications sanctioned by the guidelines, and there were no statistically significant racial disparities between white and black patients (p = 0.060). CONCLUSIONS According to data from a large database from one of the nation's largest comprehensive health care systems, there were significant racial disparities in the likelihood of a patient undergoing a procedure for TN. This appeared to stem from outside HFMG from a difference in referral patterns to the neurologists and neurosurgeons.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S374-S375
Author(s):  
Rahsaan Overton ◽  
Scott Fridkin ◽  
Amy Tunali ◽  
Susan M Ray

Abstract Background Disparities in incidence of invasive methicillin-resistant S. aureus (iMRSA) infections have been examined, suggesting that differences were in part driven by socio-economic factors. An analysis was conducted to determine whether similar disparities exist for invasive methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (iMSSA). Methods The Georgia Emerging Infections Program (GA EIP) conducts active, population-based surveillance for iSA within the 8-county area of Atlanta. Cases were defined as residents of the surveillance area with SA isolated from a normally sterile site, with cultures within a 30-day period considered a single case. Age- and race-specific incidence were calculated using 2016 US census data; other/unknown race were excluded from analysis (&lt;5% of cases). Incidence rate ratios (RR) between stratum and summary adjusted rate ratios (aRR) were calculated with the Mantel–Hanzel method. Results During 2016, 1,958 cases were identified (42% iMRSA and 58% iMSSA); crude incidence was 48.5/100,000. Rates were highest among those ≥ 65 years of age for both blacks and whites (Figure 1). When compared with iMSSA, iMRSA incidence was consistently lower across all age groups (aRR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.7–0.8) (Figure 2). However, the incidence of iMRSA among black cases was double that among white cases (aRR: 2.0; CI: 1.7–2.3) across all age groups. This racial disparity was less pronounced in iMSSA: among younger cases (&lt;65 years old), iMSSA incidence among blacks was significantly higher than whites (aRR: 1.6; CI: 1.4–2.0), while rates were similar in older blacks and whites (≥65 years old) (aRR: 0.9; CI: 0.8–1.2). Bloodstream infections were the most common presentation overall; however, for iMSSA infections, joint/synovial infections were significantly less common among black cases than white cases (RR: 0.3; CI: 0.1–0.7). Conclusion In the Atlanta area, racial disparities in iSA were noted, with higher incidence among blacks than whites for both iMSSA and iMRSA. The racial disparity is more extreme for iMRSA. Notably the racial disparity is not observed in cases age 65 and over. Causes for these disparities should be investigated. Disclosures S. Fridkin, Pfizer Inc.: Grant Investigator, Research support.


2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 983-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Pedulla ◽  
Devah Pager

Racial disparities persist throughout the employment process, with African Americans experiencing significant barriers compared to whites. This article advances the understanding of racial labor market stratification by bringing new theoretical insights and original data to bear on the ways social networks shape racial disparities in employment opportunities. We develop and articulate two pathways through which networks may perpetuate racial inequality in the labor market: network access and network returns. In the first case, African American job seekers may receive fewer job leads through their social networks than white job seekers, limiting their access to employment opportunities. In the second case, black and white job seekers may utilize their social networks at similar rates, but their networks may differ in effectiveness. Our data, with detailed information about both job applications and job offers, provide the unique ability to adjudicate between these processes. We find evidence that black and white job seekers utilize their networks at similar rates, but network-based methods are less likely to lead to job offers for African Americans. We then theoretically develop and empirically test two mechanisms that may explain these differential returns: network placement and network mobilization. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for scholarship on racial stratification and social networks in the job search process.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2519-2519
Author(s):  
Wei Tse Li ◽  
Matthew Uzelac ◽  
Jaideep Chakladar ◽  
Lindsay M. Wong ◽  
Aditi Gnanasekar ◽  
...  

2519 Background: Microbiome composition can influence cancer development and is moderated by diet, hygiene, sanitation, and other environmental variables. For example, a Mediterranean diet could increase breast Lactobacillus abundance, while the gut microbiome changes dramatically with fructose intake. Recent studies have revealed correlations between microbial abundance and racial disparities in cancer. Given these reports, it is critical to examine whether environmental influences on the microbiome contribute to racial disparities in cancer incidence and prognosis. Methods: We examined the intra-tumoral microbiome in the lungs, breasts, bladder, colon, rectum, cervix, head and neck, prostate, and pancreas (n = 4,169). Raw tumor RNA sequencing data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and aligned to bacterial genomes. Microbial abundance was correlated to race, ethnicity, and prognostic variables (Kruskal-Wallis test or Cox regression, p< 0.05). Results: We identified several microbes correlated with racial disparities for breast and bladder cancer, two microbes for lung squamous cell carcinoma, and one microbe for colon cancer. For breast cancer, African Americans have the highest mortality rate, followed by white Americans and Asian Americans. We found that four microbes, all under the order Burkholderiales, were positively correlated with poor prognosis and were most abundant in African Americans and least abundant in Asian Americans. Therefore, increased abundance of these microbes may contribute to the observed mortality differences between races. For bladder cancer, Asian Americans have the lowest incidence and mortality rates. Seven microbes, including two Geobacillus, two Pseudomonas, and two Burkholderiales, positively correlate with good prognosis and are upregulated in Asian Americans. High Pseudomonas fluorescens abundance is positively correlated with decreased risk of death (HR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.38-0.85). High abundance of the Burkholderiales R. pickettii (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.42-0.92) and V. paradoxus (HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.36-0.98) also exhibit the same trend. Geobacillus and Pseudomonas are both present in food, while Burkholderiales can cause nosocomial infections and are altered by diet. Conclusions: Our study is the most comprehensive to date investigating racial differences in the intra-tumoral microbiome. Our data serve as a starting point for exploring whether environmental influence of microbial abundance contributes to racial disparities in cancer.


Healthcare ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Matthew DiMeglio ◽  
John Dubensky ◽  
Samuel Schadt ◽  
Rashmika Potdar ◽  
Krzysztof Laudanski

Sepsis, a syndrome characterized by systemic inflammation during infection, continues to be one of the most common causes of patient mortality in hospitals across the United States. While standardized treatment protocols have been implemented, a wide variability in clinical outcomes persists across racial groups. Specifically, black and Hispanic populations are frequently associated with higher rates of morbidity and mortality in sepsis compared to the white population. While this is often attributed to systemic bias against minority groups, a growing body of literature has found patient, community, and hospital-based factors to be driving racial differences. In this article, we provide a focused review on some of the factors driving racial disparities in sepsis. We also suggest potential interventions aimed at reducing health disparities in the prevention, early identification, and clinical management of sepsis.


1978 ◽  
Vol 55 (s4) ◽  
pp. 383s-386s ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. Sever ◽  
W. S. Peart ◽  
T. W. Meade ◽  
I. B. Davies ◽  
D. Gordon ◽  
...  

1. Plasma noradrenaline concentration and plasma renin activity were measured in a control, British, urban population (n = 115) in which blacks were matched for age and sex with whites. 2. Similar measurements were made in subjects with essential hypertension (77 white and 23 black), and 48 healthy normotensive white civil servants. 3. In controls blood pressure was significantly higher in blacks; it correlated with age in both races and with pulse rate in blacks. There were no significant racial differences in plasma noradrenaline which was positively correlated with age in both blacks and whites. Mean plasma renin activity was 55% lower in blacks, and this difference was not related to urinary sodium excretion. 4. In hypertensive subjects plasma noradrenaline positively correlated with age in blacks. This relationship was not found in whites in whom 20% of young hypertensive subjects (<45 years) had significantly raised plasma noradrenaline. Plasma renin activity was again significantly lower in blacks. In white hypertensives plasma noradrenaline and renin activity were significantly correlated. 5. There may be racial differences in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dries Lens ◽  
Ive Marx ◽  
Sunčica Vujić

AbstractThis paper examines the labor market trajectories of refugees who arrived in Belgium between 1999 and 2009. Belgium offers a relatively easy formal labor market access to refugees and other types of migrants but they face many other barriers in this strongly regulated and institutionalized labor market. Based on a longitudinal dataset that links respondents’ information from the Belgian Labor Force Survey with comprehensive social security data on their work histories, we estimate discrete-time hazard models to analyze refugees’ entry into and exit out of the first employment spell, contrasting their outcomes with family and labor migrants of the same arrival cohort. The analysis shows that refugees take significantly longer to enter their first employment spell as compared with other migrant groups. They also run a greater risk of exiting out of their first employment spell (back) into social assistance and into unemployment. The low employment rates of refugees are thus not only due to a slow integration process upon arrival, but also reflect a disproportional risk of exiting the labor market after a period in work. Our findings indicate that helping refugees into a first job is not sufficient to ensure labor market participation in the long run, because these jobs may be short-lived. Instead, our results provide clear arguments in favor of policies that support sustainable labor market integration.


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