http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/11/crooked-ladder
Too long of an article to copy but Malcolm Gladwell compares the transition of Italian mobsters into legitimate business enterprises and how that compares with the treatment/fate of today's black criminals.
In short, Italians (and the Irish, and Jewish folks) operated in a system that is much different than today's criminal justice system. No mandatory minimums, much more corruption, far fewer convictions for even the highest level offenders. Today a dime bag can mean a bid. Race in conjunction with changing CJ policies and goals doesn't allow for that relatively smooth transition from dealer/extortionist/thief into legitimacy.
Too long of an article to copy but Malcolm Gladwell compares the transition of Italian mobsters into legitimate business enterprises and how that compares with the treatment/fate of today's black criminals.
In short, Italians (and the Irish, and Jewish folks) operated in a system that is much different than today's criminal justice system. No mandatory minimums, much more corruption, far fewer convictions for even the highest level offenders. Today a dime bag can mean a bid. Race in conjunction with changing CJ policies and goals doesn't allow for that relatively smooth transition from dealer/extortionist/thief into legitimacy.
