jail

Federal courts are less likely to give Latinos and Native Americans the option of getting out of prison early for good behavior, a new study suggests. Offenders who are Asian, on the other hand, are the most likely of any racial or ethnic group to be allowed to earn “good time” credit.

A growing share of Americans have felony records, according to data recently published in the journal Demography. Among African Americans, the ratio is much higher: Approximately 33 percent of African-American men have been convicted of a felony. The findings raise questions about the criminal justice system amid a “historic increase in criminal punishment,” the authors say.