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Recut: Why Are Louisville's Black Kids Jailed More Than White Kids?

Black youth make up less than 27 percent of Louisville's population, but more than 75 percent of youth jailed in Louisville last year were black.

I'll put it another way: 3 out of 4 kids in Louisville's detention center are black, but only 1 out of 4 kids in Louisville are black.

I was honestly stunned to hear the numbers for the first time — I think many people would be. And even more shocking is that no one really seems to be talking about it.

Over the last year, Kate Howard with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting looked at the state's juvenile justice system and she found that black kids are not only locked up more often than white kids, but they are also given harsher punishments.

Kate joins us today on Recut to talk about her reporting and she tells us about some families and teenagers she met in the process.

Like what you hear? We do it twice a week! Every episode of Recut takes a closer look at a story we’re covering in the WFPL newsroom. Subscribe on  iTunes or  Android, and let us know what you think at  recut@wfpl.org.

Jonese Franklin