The US Bureau of Justice estimates that in 2008 there were 846,000 black men in prison, 40% percent of the total population of inmates.

It is also said that this number might be higher than the total number of slaves in 1850. It is worth noting that slavery was central to the economy of southern US for centuries and that it was not until the 60's that the civil rights movement maanged to change racist law enforced in many of the US souther states like Alabama or Mississipi.