A severe part of Black youth being incarcerated are low employment rates and employer response rates. Black youth are applying for jobs, especially from living in low socioeconomic neighborhoods however, Black youth are less likely to receive or get a response from an employer. To make up for not having a job, Black youth will work in the “underground economy” (selling drugs, gangs, or other violent crimes) as an alternative. By doing this Black youth are setting themselves up to be incarcerated and adding on to the negative stereotypes already set against them.
This creates overrepresentation of Black youth within the juvenile justice system due to stereotypes, systematic racism, high crime environments, and low economic statuses that exist within their community. High poverty rates are within the Black community, from a lack of access to higher education and high paying jobs. Also, there is a lack of socially productive adult role models with acceptable jobs, due to drug dealing or gang affiliation being common in Black communities. This can lead Black youth to a life of crime or being unsupervised only to end up hanging around adults participating in criminal activity.