put into effect even after the crime decline began, are the main cause of the historic rise in imprisonment that has occurred over the past 40 years.

The rise in incarceration that has come to be known as mass imprisonment began in 1973 and can be attributed to three major eras of policymaking, all of which had a disparate impact on people of color, especially African Americans. Until 1986, a series of policies was enacted to expand the use of imprisonment for a variety of felonies. After this point, the focus moved to greater levels of imprisonment for drug and sex offenses. There was a particularly sharp growth in state imprisonment for drug offenses between 1987 and 1991. In the final stage, beginning around 1995, the emphasis was onviolence, elevated rates of unemployment, and more school dropout. All of these factors are more likely to exist in communities of color and play a role in one’s proclivity toward crime.

Recommendations for Reform

Even though the pace of reform is relatively modest in addressing the scale of mass incarceration and the enduring racial and ethnic disparities, reforms being pursued in the states are encouraging. New Jersey provides an example of this potential. Despite its high ranking in disparity among sentenced prisoners, New Jersey has recently pursued a range of reforms that could lessen this disparity and accelerate progress. Like most states, New Jersey experienced a steady rise in incarceration from the 1970s through the 1990s. Since 2000, however, the state has reduced its prison population by 28%.

Drug laws with