Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409150038
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By The Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
About two in 10 Virginians are black, yet two-thirds of the state's prisoners are black.
Blacks live in far greater danger, according to an annual Justice Department survey of crime victims. Chances of becoming a victim of violent crime are almost twice as high for black males as white males, and almost three times as high for black males as white females. Black females become victims at a slightly higher rate than white males.
Nationally, about 1.5 million people, most of them men, are behind bars.
To cope with current overcrowding and a projected continued increase in prisoners, the federal government plans to build 30 new federal prisons with 44,000 beds.
by CNB