Jackson Free Press

Regardless of the underlying reason, such a disparity between the racial background of those pardoned and prison demographics is a significant statistical anomaly, according to University of Georgia statisticians Kim Love-Myers and Jaxk Reeves, who carried out an analysis of the data for Reuters.

"This type of observational information cannot prove causality, though it does indicate a significant relationship between race and the probability of being pardoned," Love-Myers wrote in an email.

"The odds of a random sample of the prison population coming out with the same or greater disparity in racial proportions as the pardons list is less than one in a trillion, if race were truly unrelated to pardons."

It's a great piece. Cheers to Robbie and the rest of the Reuters team.

Previous Comments

ID

165810

Comment

Don't see how the racial make up of the prison population has anything to with the racial make up of those pardoned, since most 180 of the people not in jail or under supervision of the prison system. They also forgot to mention the 3 out of the 5 murders and armed robber that worked at the Gov house were black. If race placed any part in it, why how that happen. Like the article said people have to ASK for a pardon,just because blacks don't, doesn't mean that more white people being pardoned is racist,it just mean they did ask for them, that is their fault,nobody else's has nothing to do with race.

Author

BubbaT

Date

2012-01-20T20:17:17-06:00

ID

165812

Comment

A few random responses, Bubba: Robbie said they've had a difficult time getting info on who requested pardons and which were turned down, so that is an unknown factor as of now (and addressed int he Reuters article). In 2008, the pardons trustys were white, and we called that out; it is quite possible that Barbour decided to include the black ones this time around to take care of that little issue. Whether they're still in jail is a smokescreen thrown up by Barbour. Still being in jail is far from the only issue: felon access to guns is huge, as is who gets the chance to vote again. Another question is how many are helped when it comes to pardons and such. Bottom line: You don't have any idea whether it had to do with race or not, although you *always* kneejerk into saying it doesn't. Bottom line 2: Barbour's willingness to grant pardons to that many white men is an issue as well. I doubt that anyone things he would have granted more than 200 pardons had all or the vast majority of them been black. He won't even pardon the Scott Sisters, which is patently absurd.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2012-01-20T20:48:38-06:00

ID

165813

Comment

Oops hit send before I proof read. :) Should have been last paragraph should have said "Like the article said people have to ASk for a pardon,just because blacks don't, doesn't mean more white people being pardoned is racist it just means blacks didn't ask for them, that is their fault, nobody else's, has nothe to do with race."

Author

BubbaT

Date

2012-01-20T20:52:20-06:00

ID

165814

Comment

Donna- You don't have any idea whether race played a part in it either,now do you? You seem to think everyone makes their decisions based of race, when they don't. Just because more whites were doesn't mean race had to do with any part of it. Like the article said,the race of the person isn't even included in the pardon recommendation from the parol board nor the ex-prisoners request. So the race of the 69 that were turned down doesn't matter. Hard for race to play a part in the pardon decisions if you don't know their race, don't you think Don't you have to accept the guilt or not contest your verdict to get a pardon from the Gov?, you do for a Pres. pardon I am fairly sure, maybe if the Scott sister would admit their guilty instead of falsely claiming innocence they might get a pardon. Just a thought. As for the trusty/murders he pardoned, I think they should have been excuted a long time ago, that would have solved this litte pardon gate thing before it ever happened.

Author

BubbaT

Date

2012-01-20T21:09:16-06:00

ID

165815

Comment

It would be interesting to know what the racial makeup is of the list of people who actually followed the rules and will actually get their pardon instead of the dimwits who screwed it up and now get the finger from Jim Hood. It is interesting that a lot of people who were involved in the business end of the drug trade managed to cross their t's and dot all their i's. A little jail time to clear their head and they get their act together. There was a report not too long ago, I can't remember where (NPR maybe), about Bush's pardons. They also were heavily skewed towards whites. The selection process was colorblind in that the selectors had no way of knowing the race of the applicant. It was very interesting also.

Author

WMartin

Date

2012-01-20T22:12:47-06:00

ID

165816

Comment

Bubba T. Please give this issue up!! Your statement about not seeing what race has to do with the number of pardons issued by Former Gov. Haley Barbour is at best, RIDICULOUS!

Author

justjess

Date

2012-01-21T20:00:40-06:00

ID

165818

Comment

Jess- Nope, not gonna happen, till someone offers up some PROOF race played a part in the pardons.Until then anything Reuters and JFP prints on the subject is just assumptions based on no facts. Comparing ratios of the prison and state population to the pardons is grasping for straws and useless. Just because the numbers don't add up for them doesn't prove that the pardons were granted because of race.

Author

BubbaT

Date

2012-01-21T23:33:50-06:00