From the complaint:
- For instance, Black job applicants have failed Defendants’ criminal justice history screening, and consequently are denied employment, at a rate exceeding approximately 14.5% while White job applicants have failed Defendants’ criminal justice history screening, and consequently are denied employment, at a rate of under approximately 8%.
Reading between the lines, that’s essentially exactly 2:1.
But crime statistics suggest a much higher ratio than 2:1.
Although a 7:1 incarceration rate ratio is not an exact proxy for criminal records, and there may be a sample bias regarding whether one race’s criminals are more likely to apply for jobs, this suggests that white criminals are being disproportionately denied jobs, not the other way around.