Ventura County Public Health :: Indicators :: Adult Arrest Rate

Red is bad, green is good, blue is not statistically different/neutral.

Compared to Distribution

an indicator guage with the arrow in the green the value is in the best half of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the yellow the value is in the 2nd worst quarter of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the red the value is in the worst quarter of communities.

Compared to Target

green circle with white tick inside it meets target; red circle with white cross inside it does not meet target.

Compared to a Single Value

green diamond with downward arrow inside it lower than the comparison value; red diamond with downward arrow inside it higher than the comparison value; blue diamond with downward arrow inside it not statistically different from comparison value.

Trend

green square outline with upward trending arrow inside it green square outline with downward trending arrow inside it non-significant change over time; green square with upward trending arrow inside it green square with downward trending arrow inside it significant change over time; blue square with equals sign no change over time.

Compared to Prior Value

green triangle with upward trending arrow inside it higher than the previous measurement period; green triangle with downward trending arrow inside it lower than the previous measurement period; blue equals sign no statistically different change from previous measurement period.

green chart bars Significantly better than the overall value

red chart bars Significantly worse than the overall value

light blue chart bars No significant difference with the overall value

gray chart bars No data on significance available

Why is this important?

Arrests and subsequent incarceration can lead to restricted employment prospects, housing instability, family disruption, stigma, and restricted voting rights. Research, including research conducted by The Sentencing Project, has shown that these consequences are felt disproportionately by people of color and their communities. On average, Black/African Americans have higher arrest rates than whites in the US. In the US, Black/African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites.

Meaningful reforms to the criminal justice system and, in turn, for the communities that are disproportionately affected by arrests and incarceration, cannot be accomplished without acknowledging racial disparities. Not only do arrests and incarceration affect the individual who is incarcerated, but disproportionate arrest rates can affect whole communities. In many states, a conviction means never voting again, leading to disparities in political representation. Additionally, the absence of incarcerated adults removes eligible workers, taxpayers, heads of households, and incomes from the community. Altogether, this can lead to economic hardship and poorer health for communities impacted by disparities in the criminal justice system.

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