Study: Black Men Safer, Survive Longer in Prison than Free

Re-posted by Nicholas Stix

A perusal of the comments shows that no one was fooled by Genevra Pittman’s propaganda, or the “study” on which she was reporting. The funny thing is that both she and the doctor she cites fantasize that whites are responsible for black men’s problems with living in freedom, and must therefore pay endless trillions of dollars in yet more taxes/reparations/whatever for them.

“Maxfusion wrote:

“What a revelation. In the spirit of a healthier America why don’t we ummmmm, I think you know the rest.”
 

Black men survive longer in prison than out: study
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:42 p.m. EDT
Reuters
39 Comments

(Reuters Health) - Black men are half as likely to die at any given time if they're in prison than if they aren't, suggests a new study of North Carolina inmates.

The black prisoners seemed to be especially protected against alcohol- and drug-related deaths, as well as lethal accidents and certain chronic diseases.

But that pattern didn't hold for white men, who on the whole were slightly more likely to die in prison than outside, according to findings published in Annals of Epidemiology.

Researchers say it's not the first time a study has found lower death rates among certain groups of inmates -- particularly disadvantaged people, who might get protection against violent injuries and murder.

"Ironically, prisons are often the only provider of medical care accessible by these underserved and vulnerable Americans," said Hung-En Sung of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

"Typically, prison-based care is more comprehensive than what inmates have received prior to their admission," Sung, who wasn't involved in the new study, told Reuters Health by email.

The new study involved about 100,000 men between age 20 and 79 who were held in North Carolina prisons at some point between 1995 and 2005. Sixty percent of those men were black.

Researchers linked prison and state health records to determine which of the inmates died, and of what causes, during their prison stay. Then they compared those figures with expected deaths in men of the same age and race in the general population.

Less than one percent of men died during incarceration, and there was no difference between black and white inmates. But outside prison walls, blacks have a higher rate of death at any given age than whites.

"What's very sad about this is that if we are able to all of a sudden equalize or diminish these health inequalities that you see by race inside a place like prison, it should also be that in places like a poor neighborhood we should be able to diminish these sort of inequities," said Evelyn Patterson, who studies correctional facilities at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

"If it can be done (in prison), then certainly it can happen outside of prison," Patterson, who wasn't linked to the new work, told Reuters Health.

As in the general population, cancer and heart and blood vessel diseases were the most common cause of death among inmates -- accounting for more than half of deaths.

White prisoners died of cardiovascular diseases as often as expected and died of cancer slightly more often than non-prisoners.

Black inmates, by contrast, were between 30 and 40 percent less likely to die of those causes than those who weren't incarcerated. They were also less likely to die of diabetes, alcohol- and drug-related causes, airway diseases, accidents, suicide and murder than black men not in prison.

All told, their risk of death at any age was only half that of men living in the community.

For white men, the overall death rate was slightly higher -- by about 12 percent -- than in the general population, with some of that attributed to higher rates of death from infection, including HIV and hepatitis. When the researchers broke prisoners up by age, death rates were only higher for white prisoners age 50 and older.

"For some populations, being in prison likely provides benefits in regards to access to healthcare and life expectancy," said study author Dr. David Rosen, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

But, he added in an email, "it's important to remember that there are many possible negative consequences of imprisonment -- for example, broken relationships, loss of employment opportunities, and greater entrenchment in criminal activity -- that are not reflected in our study findings but nevertheless have an important influence on prisoners' lives and their overall health."

For Rosen, one of the main messages from the study is the need to make the world outside of prison walls safer, and to make sure people living there have adequate access to healthcare.

SOURCE: bit.ly/o7a7st Annals of Epidemiology, online July 7, 2011.
 

Comments (39)

M.C.McBride wrote:

We should send our prisoners to offshore work camps and not allow them to ever reenter the USA. End the drug war because it is wrong and we can no longer afford the social experiment.
Jul 14, 2011 8:39pm EDT
 

Paul_Revere wrote:

“If it can be done (in prison), then certainly it can happen outside of prison”

That’s the thing about freedom, it guarantees equal opportunity, not equal results. The results depend on the individual, and in this case, many black individuals do not take advantage of the freedom bestowed them outside prison.

I think I like non-prison life to stay as far away from being similar to prison life as possible. I know this is a tough concept for collectivists/progressives.
Jul 14, 2011 8:42pm EDT
 

JTinCO wrote:

“Black inmates were between 30 and 40 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular diseases and cancer than those who weren’t incarcerated. They were also less likely to die of diabetes, alcohol- and drug-related causes, airway diseases, accidents, suicide and murder than black men not in prison.”

” ‘For some populations, being in prison likely provides benefits in regards to access to healthcare and life expectancy,’ said study author Dr. David Rosen, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”

Three squares, no cars, no guns, no alcohol and no drugs are likely more causal than “access to healthcare,” Doc.
Jul 14, 2011 8:45pm EDT
 

jnsesq wrote:

This headline is its own punchline.
Jul 14, 2011 9:55pm EDT
 

lukuj wrote:

This is really troubling, but it is a problem only the African-American community can solve by returning to intact families and intolerance for all that is leading to these scary statistics. Government can legistlate it or give entitlements that will correct this.
Jul 14, 2011 11:15pm EDT
 

Shadmin wrote:

If that’s not pathetic, I don’t know what is? Obviously all is not well in the black community when young blacks are killing each other at such high percentages that they survive longer in prison than out on the street? The “blame it on everyone except yourselves” attitude is part of the problem? Black leaders need to buck up and start telling their brethren that they are the ones responsible for the complete dysfunctional situation which exists today! It’s not the “man” or racism anymore cause black people have just as much if not more opportunity than many white people do! There are too many successful blacks as evidence of this to say otherwise! No more excuses, if blacks fail and want to genocide themselves out of existence they have only themselves to blame, period!
Jul 14, 2011 11:38pm EDT
 

momsaid wrote:

This appears to be a case of ‘crabs in a bucket’. If you have a bucket full, none gets out, because the ones below them grab them with their claws and drag them back in. No one wants a fellow to escape from the ‘hood’ alive. Let alone, be successful in a legitimate business.

Changing hearts is needed, and a good place to begin would be by making single motherhood less desirable. Don’t subsidize it, don’t vaunt those who make it possible, and encourage girls to respect themselves. The more intact, healthy families, the less ‘crabbiness’. It’s simple…just not easy.
Jul 14, 2011 12:31am EDT
 

JeffyW wrote:

There are a lot of buzzwords here indicating the desired results of the study. I’m not argueing with the numbers, but certain words tip you off. “underserved” “disadvantaged”…these are terms used when making excuses for people. I would be underserved by definition if I chose not to pay for my doctors visit the next time I walked in. I would be disadvantaged if I chose to eat McDonalds every day and my heart stopped working. You can have anything you want in this country if you prioritize your spending and are willing to pay for it.
Jul 14, 2011 12:33am EDT
 

jtdavies3 wrote:

So many of the listed diseases are lifestyle diseases. Is it surprising that someone is less likely to commit suicide, be murdered, or be in an accident while they are in prison? Why is it surprising that there is less drug, alcohol, or smoking problems? And having your menu planned by trained dietitians should result in less diabetes and heart disease.
Jul 14, 2011 12:57am EDT
 

brundlefly wrote:

Wow. The commentary on this site is usually intelligent and insightful. It appears neither quality is necessary for comments on topic.
Jul 15, 2011 1:09am EDT
 

Toroloneeneo wrote:

So in this world of laws that mandate racial equality in terms of results instead of in terms of opportunity, we have to find some way to up the life expectancy of white dudes in prison, right?
Jul 15, 2011 2:48am EDT
 

nickel1951 wrote:

Wouldn’t it be a better solution to look at the deadly behavior that is killing black men outside of prison. How about we eliminate the Federal minimum wage so that the chronic unemployment in the Black community can be alliviated and these men can find work? That might be too complex for a liberal to understand, but it is called building self confidence and independence through work and self support. But it is the unions and their Democratic handmaidens that want the minimum wages high so they can pad the cost of their union contracts that use minimum wage rates as the basis for their contract wages with our government employers. SO the Democrats talk about helping the Black community but really just play them for their own benefit.
Jul 15, 2011 6:08am EDT
 

PKFA wrote:

“one of the main messages from the study is the need to make the world outside of prison walls safer, and to make sure people living there have adequate access to healthcare.”
or:
how about the need to make the world inside prison walls less cushy. It’s prison.
Jul 15, 2011 10:31am EDT
 

Rankbender wrote:

What a total propaganda piece!

The study that black men survive longer in prison is sound. The premise that this is due to better healthcare is either painfully ignorant or willfully disingenuous. Researching the author a bit, I would guess the latter.

When thousands of black men are murdered each year and about 50% of these are between the ages of 17-29, that really has nothing to do with their healthcare provider.
Jul 15, 2011 11:31am EDT
 

jimmy37 wrote:

HAHAHA

they got noone shootin at them, 3 squares, exercise, TV. What more do they need?
Jul 15, 2011 11:39am EDT

 

USAPragmatist wrote:

If these comments are an indicator of where our society is in general, then I can understand those that say America is on a downward track.
IMO to most sane, compassionate people this study would show how the black community is marginalized both economically and socially and would love to see this alleviated. But no, most of these commentators show zero compassion or are just plain racist in their undertones.
If you are born black and this country you are MUCH MORE likely to be born in an economically depressed area, not giving you the same opportunities to those born in better areas. It is MUCH harder to make something of yourself when born in these areas and IMO it is our responsibility as a nation/society to help people born in these circumstances make something of their life. Now how to do that is a MUCH bigger discussion.
Jul 15, 2011 11:43am EDT
 

BGNJoe wrote:

So after 50 years of being “helped” mainly by white liberals, this is what it’s come to for African Americans. Thanks for nothing.
Jul 15, 2011 11:56am EDT
 

gbadb wrote:

We could get out of the employment problem for the imprisoned by deporting the illegal aliens and having a moratorium on legal immigration. That will drive wages up so when these guys leave prison they will have a decent chance of making a good wage. There were more legal immigrants came here last month than jobs created. In our past history we have stopped legal immigration for decades so that the new immigrants could assimilate
Jul 15, 2011 12:04pm EDT
 

trufsamich101 wrote:

Ms. Pittman, maybe you should have considered using a different headline. “Black men survive longer in prison than out” suggests, offensively so, that you are referring to ALL black men, out of context, not just black prisoners in comparison to other ethnic populations in prison. In other words, your headline does not accurately reflect the content of your article and, worse, has the flavor (unintended, I’m sure) of bigotry. An article this informative deserves a better headline.
Jul 15, 2011 12:22pm EDT
 

Randy549 wrote:

When I read this article, I thought of an analogy with stray animals vs. ones that are adopted as pets. (Please bear with me here, this has nothing to do with race.)

It’s well-documented that an adopted cat or dog, living in a home, has a very much longer lifespan than a stray wandering the streets. As the owner, you make the decisions on what kind of life your pet has — what it eats and how much, that it’s kept safe (no running around out in the street), that it gets good preventative medical care (whether it wants it or not). And this is all well and good….

Someone above mentioned that while society can do its best to provide equal opportunity, it cannot guarantee equal outcomes. Unless, the freedom of individual choice is taken away, as happens in a prison environment: three squares a day, controlled (mandated?) medical care, and a relatively-controlled environment with regard to hazards.

While losing much of its “freedom” in return for a longer, happier life is arguably a good bargain for a cat or dog, it is a horrible, unacceptable bargain for a human being. Humans must have the freedom to make their own choices, but also must deal with the consequences of bad choices. I’ve wrestled with this issue a lot, and it’s a disturbing thought — at what point does society decide to make the provision of aid conditional on the aid recipient losing part of their freedom to make choices, so they can no longer make “bad” choices?
Jul 15, 2011 12:32pm EDT
 

IvanYurkenov wrote:

USAPragmatist wrote: “IMO to most sane, compassionate people this study would show how the black community is marginalized both economically and socially and would love to see this alleviated.”

Sir/Madam, where have YOU been?! For the past 45 years, if you are born black in this country (or out), you have been awarded bonus points toward admission to the best universities in the nation; when all other measurable factors are the same, you have received preferences in hiring, ESPECIALLY in the highly coveted PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS; you have been given preferential treatment in gaining access to small business loans for risky business start ups; you have been awarded set asides in contracting in ALL Title 9 Public Works Projects; I could go on, but you get the point.

USAPragmatist, you are NOT pragmatic; you are a blooming example of an ignoramus of colossal measure.
Ivan
Jul 15, 2011 12:32pm EDT
 

notinthematrix wrote:

What a shame! Perhaps this is because the medical care prisons provide is better than what black men would receive on the outside, yet worse than what white men would receive on the outside.
Jul 15, 2011 12:53pm EDT
 

serlwejateu wrote:

So, then, early release is detrimental to the black prisoner as well as society.
Jul 15, 2011 12:54pm EDT
 

USAPragmatist wrote:

@Ivan….all other measurable factors are not the same….When you are born in a economically depressed area your quality of living is much lower. You have much less access to quality, affordable education. You have much higher exposure to crime and all its trappings. You have less opportunities for legitimate employment. All the things you mention help alleviate the negatives to being born in these areas, but one would be insane not to admit that one born in an inner city has the same opportunities as one born in the suburbs.

You should go tour a modern american ghetto, yes people can become ‘successful’ coming from these areas, but it sure is A LOT harder then if you come from less economically depressed areas.
Jul 15, 2011 2:09pm EDT
 

hartley8184 wrote:

USAPragmatist,

You don’t know what you are talking about. For 50 years, I’ve listened to people like you decide what “Intelligent Policy” is on behalf of everyone else. And you haven’t fixed anything yet. All you do is talk and talk and talk and talk.

Why don’t YOU go tour an American ghetto? They exist because of people like you; they are monuments to YOUR ignorance.
Jul 15, 2011 2:42pm EDT
 

Asaki wrote:

There is no way to fill the gap between the rich and the poor as long as politicians are not willing to strive in improving the lives of those they say they represent.In a developed country like the US to adequate proper healthcare will be rigid,especially there is an opposition to it.So people should learn to take the bull by it horns not to live in prison cells and avoid violence that may cause death and injuries in the long run.Life in prison is not a dream,when you are put in a prison your freedom is restricted and that awful.
Jul 15, 2011 3:02pm EDT
 

TheNewWorld wrote:

@USAPragmatist

“If you are born black and this country you are MUCH MORE likely to be born in an economically depressed area, not giving you the same opportunities to those born in better areas. It is MUCH harder to make something of yourself when born in these areas and IMO it is our responsibility as a nation/society to help people born in these circumstances make something of their life. Now how to do that is a MUCH bigger discussion.”

If you take your ideas further, than you would blame the government for those facts. They are born in to government housing projects, provided government education, government food, and government job programs. And you are 100% correct the system is designed to keep them on the government’s teat all their lives. The US has failed the black community specifically through the programs designed to “help” people. The design of the projects is such that if you take steps to get out, the government withdraws its help. It rewards those with fatherless children, and keeps people stuck in their situation. It is the epitomy of giving people just enough to live off of and presents road blocks to anything that would help them survive on their own.

Government involvement is the problem. You can not give people everything they need to survive and expect them to have a quality life. People must learn to provide for themselves, and to provide for their families. This can not be learned when the government is providing for everyone.
Jul 15, 2011 3:13pm EDT
 

zyanna wrote:

So the consensus seems to be that the proper response is to withhold medical care from prisoners, right?
Jul 15, 2011 3:17pm EDT
 

bennyzr wrote:

This study tells me that certain groups of people are less civilized and not able to take care of themselves than other groups of people.
Access to healthcare is something you need to work and pay for. If healthcare is a right then we need to enslave the entire medical industry to serve everybody else (we are actually doing this currently, slowly and insidiously). Government run welfare is actually promoting this subservience and dependence to itself to further control our lives. Every crises that the government either creates or allows to happen just serves as an excuse for the government to control more of our lives. The end will be when the whole country will resemble on big prison.
Jul 15, 2011 3:17pm EDT
 

Maxfusion wrote:

What a revelation. In the spirit of a healthier America why don’t we ummmmm, I think you know the rest.
Jul 15, 2011 3:20pm EDT
 

USAPragmatist wrote:

@Hartley….I suppose you want to let the private market and free market forces fix this problem too? If not how would you ‘fix’ it?
Please explain why ghettos exist because of my ignorance, after all you think I do not understand so maybe you can explain it to me?
Jul 15, 2011 3:31pm EDT
 

PeterAnthony wrote:

Definitely causal relationship with full account of sampling bias, chance association and confounding factors, what patronising crap
Jul 15, 2011 4:14pm EDT
 

moonhill wrote:

It is no wonder that Blacks are more disadvantaged considering that their out of wedlock birthrate is around 80%. Children need two parents. The welfare state has created this. What government subsidizes grows. It pays to have children out of wedlock. Our government rewards that behavior. As long as that is the case, this will be the result.
Jul 15, 2011 4:44pm EDT
 

walter12 wrote:

Wow, what does this say about the subject’s life styles?
Jul 15, 2011 5:06pm EDT
 

IrateNate wrote:

I smell a Nobel with your name on it, Doc. What are you saying, that it is dangerous for black men to live in crime and drug-infested ghetto dwelling inner city neighborhoods?

Thanks for that newsflash, Doctor Obvious.
Jul 15, 2011 5:37pm EDT
 

TheNewWorld wrote:

@moonhill

Some people do not understand how the government works in the ghettos and even in other cases of disability. I have lived very shortly when out of work for an extended ammount of time in a government project. The friend I was living in could only work a part time job for minimum wage. If she went full time they would have started charging for the housing and pulled other benefits. In other words she would have been worse off on a full time job.

My cousin was ran over as a teen ager and had to be on dialysis for all of her life. Towards the end of her life she found a man that she was in love with. She could not get married because if she did all disability benefits would have been removed from her. So she died single, even though she was every bit married in her mind.

This is how government help works. People who are all for it, have never spent a day in a ghetto, much less a life time. No one should have to, or want to depend on the government for anything.
Jul 15, 2011 7:17pm EDT
 

gregio wrote:

As a famous black talk show host has been advising black people for decades: “pack your bags and get out of the ghetto” “go to a good neighborhood, find a job or go to school” that is the simple but daring method most people of all races, creeds in America use to better their lives and increase their opportunity to be successful in their pursuit of their American dream. Yes its hard as heck to find a job right now but it’s pretty easy to go back to school. So the doors out of the ghetto are still open, they always were.
Jul 15, 2011 7:53pm EDT
 

tittiger wrote:

Perhaps it is not so much about allopathic medical care but diet. In prison you have to eat what is provided.
Jul 15, 2011 9:21pm EDT
 

nieldevi wrote:

Now I’ve heard it all.
Jul 16, 2011 2:01am EDT