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The Color of Clemency
by R.L. Nave
February 1, 2012
Mississippi's pardon process isn't race-blind, either. A Reuters analysis, completed by Himanshu Ojha, Marcus Stern and Jackson Free Press stringer Robbie Ward, found that the more than 200 acts of clemency former Gov. Haley Barbour granted during his tenure helped more white prisoners than African Americans.
Although blacks make up approximately two-thirds of inmates doing time in Mississippi's prisons, African Americans received just one-third of the Barbour pardons and commutations.
Conversely, whites received two-thirds of the pardon benefits even though whites comprise just one-third of the state's prison population. However, without knowing the racial background of each applicant, it is difficult to draw solid conclusions about the apparent disparity.
The Reuters analysis excludes Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans, who collectively represent just over 1 percent of all prisoners in MDOC custody.
University of Georgia statisticians Kim Love-Myers and Jaxk Reeves performed the Reuters analysis.
"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 told the news organization.
Barbour's spokeswoman, Laura Hipp, also responded to Reuters. She said: "Race was not a factor in his decision. In fact, it wasn't even listed on the Parole Board's application."
posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/01/12 at 04:08 PM. [printer version] Share |
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notmuch: I'm not sure where the "@" came from, but I think golden eagle's response was directed to me, so I will respond one more time. First, the inclusion of the word "facts" and the phrase ...
May 25, 2012 | 08:01 AM
[Dish] Cobby Williams, Young Gun
Queen601: That first question is classic! LOL
May 24, 2012 | 09:34 PM
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golden eagle: @notmuch, here are some facts about voter fraud, straight from the Brennan Center's website: Fraud by individual voters is both irrational and extremely rare. Most citizens who ...
May 24, 2012 | 07:14 PM
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notmuch: Oh, I have hundreds of those right-wing sites, and I couldn't say which ones are more "partisan"--they all include those pesky facts. Yes, when dead voters and multiple voters under ...
May 24, 2012 | 07:11 PM
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May 24, 2012 | 06:46 PM
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golden eagle: I don't think you could've found a more partisan right-wing site than the Daily Caller. The fact of the matter is that the right is using this issue not as a means of improving ...
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notmuch: I don't think you could have found a more liberal example of a "non-partisan" site, but even so, their evidence seems to consist of 250 carefully chosen instances in one area of ...
May 24, 2012 | 04:48 PM
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golden eagle: Rather than using ideological websites to support your argument, I'll use the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice. Really good site.
May 24, 2012 | 04:30 PM
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notmuch: I might be missing something here, but I am a little confused by Golden Eagle's points: "the fact is that voter fraud is extremely rare"--so it is of no consequence that some ...
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