Voices Matter: The Impact of Serious Legal Problems on 16- to 30-year-olds in the Black Community

Focus Group Results

In our analysis of the data, it is clear that participants – regardless of age or gender, whether talking about an employment or a housing or a family matter, whether relatively minor, or quite serious – were always aware of how their race and lack of social opportunity affected the incidence of legal problems in their lives and their ability to navigate them. Participants who assessed their options were aware of the impact of their relative lack of social opportunities – their access to full economic and civic participation – as well as their individual social capital. Race and economics were primary themes, more so than substantive legal topics or common strategies or avenues for resolution. They understand their legal issues through a lens of race and social opportunity.

The focus group data is presented here, organized by theme, reflecting the tenor of the discussions. These themes draw on the categories of impact used in the CLPS, as well as themes that emerged as prevalent among participants.