INSTITUTE INDEX: The poverty of opportunity behind the police killing of Alton Sterling

By Sue Sturgis / July 14, 2016

Alton Sterling died at the hands of police while trying to eke out a living in the informal economy. Because he had a felony conviction, many work opportunities were closed to him, but efforts are underway to remove some of those barriers. (Image from YouTube.)

Date on which Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police shot Alton Sterling to death in a convenience store parking lot where he was selling CDs, a regular gig that made him a neighborhood fixture and earned him the nickname "CD Man": 7/5/2016

Year in which Sterling was previously arrested during a confrontation with police while selling CDs: 2009

Year in which Sterling reportedly faced his last felony conviction, for carrying marijuana and an illegal gun, after which his family said he focused on earning a living: 2011

Louisiana's rank among the U.S. states for incarcerating its people: 1

Imprisonment rate per 100,000 people for whites in Louisiana: 438

For blacks: 1,740

Rate of imprisonment for adult black males in Louisiana: 1 in 20

Louisiana's rank among U.S. states with the highest poverty rate: 1

Percent of white people living in poverty in Louisiana: 14

Of black people: 40

Factor by which the unemployment rate for black men in Baton Rouge exceeds that for white men: 2.7

Rank of Louisiana among states with the most employment restrictions for people with felony convictions: 1

Average number of such restrictions in the states: 123

Number in Louisiana: 389

Number of those employment restrictions in Louisiana that are for controlled substance convictions alone: 102

Date on which Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed a "ban the box" bill under which applicants will no longer have to disclose felony convictions when applying for unclassified state jobs: 6/6/2016

Besides Louisiana, number of other states that have adopted ban-the-box laws: 23

Number of counties and cities that have adopted similar ordinances: over 100

Year in which Baton Rouge adopted its ban-the-box ordinance: 2015

(Click on figure to go to source.)

 

Tags

Knowledge matters.

From exposing abuses of power and holding powerful interests accountable to elevating the voices of everyday people working for change, Facing South has become a go-to source for investigative reporting and in-depth analysis of Southern issues and trends.

Support Facing South with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate