Unequal justice: the effect of mass incarceration on children’s educational outcomes in the USA – practical implications for policy and programmes

In the USA, an African-American child is six times as likely as a white child to have or have had an incarcerated parent. Such imprisonment is an important cause of children’s lowered outcomes, therefore making an important contribution to racial differences in school achievement. In pursuit of justice, a number of practical recommendations may be made: eliminating disparities between minimum sentences for possession of crack versus powder cocaine; repealing mandatory minimum sentences for minor drug offences and other non-violent crimes; disincentivising prosecutors to seek maximum penalties for drug crimes; and increasing funding for programmes for released offenders.