How to Change The Statistics
By Eric Lotke

Last week our organization reported that half the young African American men
in the District of Columbia are under criminal justice supervision in
prison or jail, on probation or parole, or out on bond or a warrant. We
issued this finding with some trepidation, but fortunately, people are
interpreting it the way we'd hoped: as a call to action and impetus to find
solutions.

The District is not exceptional by national standards. Nationwide, one in
three young black men is under justice supervision. The rate of young black
justice involvement in urban areas is often on the order of 50 percent. A
1992 study in Los Angeles found one in three young black men spent time in
the L.A. jail during the preceding year.

The District reached this point the same way as the rest of the nation
with excessive reliance on the hardware of criminal justice to solve social
problems relating to drug addiction, lack of opportunity or mental illness.
We know now that mandatory minimum sentences don't reduce drug use, that
transferring children to adult court doesn't reduce crime and that prisons
cost more than college. We are learning that running so many young men
through our prisons and jails saddles them with criminal records, breeds
resentment and challenges our identity as a free society. The question is
what to do about it.

The District is in an awkward position because the federal government
recently assumed substantial control of its criminal justice system. That
means District residents have significantly less ability to petition the
government for solutions. Nonetheless, we hope that solutions will be found.
Having been the bearer of bad news, perhaps we will be permitted to suggest
ways to make things better.

What the federal TruthinSentencing Commission can do: This new commission
is charged with bringing District sentencing into compliance with federal
standards, though it is not expected to impose the Federal Sentencing
Guidelines or mandatory minimums that have increased racial disparities in
the federal system. We suggest that the commission prepare a racialimpact
statement with its proposals so the effect on young black men can be assessed
in advance. We also suggest that all proposals be population neutral that
is, they should not increase the rate of involvement in the justice system
overall. Longer sentences for homicide can be offset by shorter sentences for
nonviolent crimes. The commission also should consider a massive expansion of
community corrections for nonviolent offenders who can be managed in the
community without imperiling public safety. Other jurisdictions have found
that carefully structured community sanctions cost less and reduce reoffense
rates.

What the nonprofit and faith communities can do: Drug treatment, youth
mentoring and community supervision are often best provided by private
organizations in local communities. Neighborhoods can strengthen current
efforts without waiting for government assistance.

What the District government can do: The District can support communitybased
efforts. Spending less on justice will free funds and make publicprivate
partnerships more feasible. Diversion, restitution and community service
should be massively expanded for the misdemeanors that remain under District
jurisdiction.

What private business can do: In a recent effort to enlist area businesses to
set aside $1,000 to hire one area youth for the summer, more than 16,000
youths signed up but only 560 companies agreed to participate. Area
businesses and foundations could redirect local expenditures in ways that
would help reduce crime and justice involvement.

What the police can do: The citizens of the District are overpoliced and
underprotected. Of the 39,000 arrests by the Metropolitan Police Department
last year, less than 3 percent were for serious violent crimes such as
murder, robbery and rape. The police should focus their efforts on serious
crime and work with communities to organize themselves against drug abuse and
public disorder. The touchstone should be solving problems and reducing
crime, not just making arrests.

What families and citizens can do: The family remains the ultimate tool
against crime and justice involvement. Parents must care for children, and
families must support each other. All the rest simply helps families to make
their jobs easier in these turbulent and troubled times.

We don't need to stamp out the old intractable root causes of crime. Expanded
drug treatment facilities, targeted interventions and development of
alternative sanctions would make our streets safer and reduce the number of
young black men in the system by the end of next year. We could start
tomorrow.

The writer is a research associate at the National Center on Institutions and
Alternatives.

_ Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company