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Statistics Reveal Racism In Connecticut Domestic Abuse Arrests Among Women

prison gate
Ryan Caron King
/
Connecticut Public

Black and Hispanic women make up about 25% of Connecticut's female population but make up over half of women arrested for domestic violence in the state last year. That’s according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey.

Police records show that in 2020, Black and Hispanic women were charged in over 3,600 domestic violence cases compared to 2,960 for white women.

Not only are the total arrests targeting Black women higher, those women often face harsher penalties and longer court proceedings, according to public defenders.

They said something that might change this statistic is hiring a more diverse police force and educating law enforcement in cultural competency.

Jassette Henry with Public Defender Services told Hearst Connecticut Media that another part of the issue is that there are law offices that have no Black or Hispanic public defenders.

Copyright 2021 WSHU. To see more, visit WSHU.

Natalie Discenza

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.