Chunk #100 — Theory of Heightened Risk of Drinking and Problems among Low-Income African American Men — Access to Standard Life Reinforcers — African American men versus European American men
Another issue concerning access to employment is that of incarceration. It has been well documented that African American men are overrepresented within the penal system (e.g., Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003). Western and Pettit (2000) reported that in the mid-1990s, just under half of all male convicts were African American men. The probability of being convicted of a felony is higher for African Americans than European Americans: African Americans comprise 12% (versus 82% for European Americans) of the adult population in the United States, but make up 38% (versus 49% for European Americans) of those convicted of felonies within the prison system (Rosenmerkel, Durose, & Farole, 2009).
