Nearly half of all black men in the United States are arrested at least once before the age of 23, according to a new University of South Carolina study.
Researchers examined the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, which tracks the lives of 9,000 people who were between the ages of 12 and 17 in 1997.
An analysis of arrest histories for respondents between the ages of 18 and 23 revealed that almost exactly half (49 percent) of all black men are arrested by age 23.
About 30 percent of black men reported at least one arrest by age 18, according to the study.
More than a third (38 percent) of white men were arrested by age 23; about 22 percent had an arrest by age 18.
“Future research should focus on the identification and management of collateral risks that often accompany arrest experiences,” the study's authors wrote.
They noted the criminal records can hamper access to housing, employment and other fundamental needs.
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