Jackson Free Press

In millions, how many Americans are permanently dis-enfranchised from voting due to felonies: 3.9 (1 in 50 adults)
Percentage that number of black Americans imprisoned in state prisons for drug offenses increased between 1985 and 1995: 707 (whites: 306%)

Percentage of black men in Mississippi disenfranchised due to felonies: 30+
Percentage of Mississippi's population that blacks comprise: 36.3
Percentage of state prison population that blacks comprise: 70.5
Percentage of those imprisoned in U.S. under the age of 35: 57
Number of black males in U.S. who will go to prison during their lifetime: 1-in-3

Between 1985 and 1995, the number of blacks incarcerated in state prisons for drug offenses increased by 707 percent, while incarceration of whites rose 306 percent. (NAACP)

In Mississippi, African Americans comprise 36.3 percent of the population but make up 70.5 percent of all incarcerated citizens. (2000 Census) This wide difference of 34.2 percent is lower than only a few states: Alabama has a disparity of 35.9 percent and Illinois a whopping 47.8 percent. The national average difference is 31.4.