Focal Point: Lost Generation

Original Air Date: Dec. 15, 2004

Black men make up about 10 percent of North Carolina's total population but account for nearly 60 percent of its prison population. Why do so many of our state's young black men end up behind bars?

"Lost Generation" examines the case of Dwight McLean -- a young man recently convicted of murder and now serving a life sentence in a North Carolina prison.

There are many theories as to why such a disproportionate number of young black men end up in prison. Some blame economics; some blame the loss of high-wage manufacturing jobs that allowed many black communities to thrive in the past. As those jobs disappeared, many of those communities became areas with high unemployment and poverty.

The result, according to some experts, is that black children started growing up in unstable families and communities with few positive role models, creating a cycle that has been repeated in subsequent generations.

This WRAL documentary reveals the common threads in McLean's story and those of so many of his peers who are also behind bars. It also examines potential solutions to the problem and looks at programs that are making a difference.

Watch the Documentary

Dwight's Story (Part 1): Ask Dwight McLean how many of his relatives have gone to jail or prison and here's what he'll tell you. "Almost all of them. It'd be easier for me to name the people who haven't than the people who have." Now Dwight's in prison, too.

Common Threads (Part 2): Many in the criminal justice system say it's no mystery to them why so many young black men end up in prison. They point to common threads in the fabric of so many of their lives -- born to single mothers living in poverty, exposure to drugs, violence and crime and no relationships with their fathers. While every one of their stories is different, you can find those common threads in the life of Dwight McLean.

Costly Choices (Part 3): If you look at the lives of young black men in prison you'll often see lives that lacked positive male role models in childhood. If there are no good choices, a child will often choose whoever is available. In the case of Dwight McLean, that choice was costly.

A Caring Community (Part 4):There are many strong and successful black families in our community who do a good job raising their children and whose children go on to do great things. But what about parents who can't or won't provide the caring and nurturing environment that a child needs to succeed? That's where the community comes in. Many people say in the community are keys to keeping young black men out of prison.

By the Numbers

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, black men make up about 10 percent of North Carolina's total population but account for nearly 60 percent of its prison population. There are other numbers to consider:

• In N.C., three times as many black children were in foster care in 2001 as were white children.
• In 2003, 50.5 percent of black children lived with their mothers only while 17.5 percent of white males lived their mothers only.
• In 2001, 67 percent more black children than white children were abused in N.C.
• In the U.S., 48 percent of black male children lived with their mother only in 2003; 27% of white males did so.
• Three times as many black grandparents as white grandparents are raising their grandchildren.
• Twice as many black children are considered low-income as are white children.
• A black male born in the U.S. in 2001 has a 32 percent chance of going to prison in his lifetime; a white male has a 6 percent chance. (U.S. Dept. of Justice)

Online Resources

• U.S. Department of Justice Prison Statistics
  
• N.C. Department of Correction Prison Statistics
  
• N.C. Dept. of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
  
• Urban Investment Strategies Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School
  
• Duke Center for Child and Family Policy
  
• N.C. Mentoring Initiative
  
• Big Brothers Big Sisters