Black Men Live Longer In Prison

New study shows inmates have greater life expectany than if they were free

African American inmates are more likely to survive in prison than on the streets, according to a new study published in Annals of Epidemiology. However, white inmates were more likely to die in prison than outside. The North Carolina study found that incarceration saved black inmates from alcohol- and drug-related deaths, as well as lethal accidents and certain chronic diseases.

"Ironically, prisons are often the only provider of medical care accessible by these underserved and vulnerable Americans," said Hung-En Sung of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

According to the numbers, black inmates were more than 30 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease or cancer than those who weren't incarcerated.

Still not convinced black inmates may live longer in prison than outside? Check out these stats:

• In 2007, 19.5 percent of African-Americans in comparison to 10.4 percent of non-Hispanic whites were uninsured.
• In 2007, the U.S. Census bureau reported that 24.5 percent of African-Americans in comparison to 8.2 percent of non-Hispanic Whites were living at the poverty level.
• Since the end of the recession, the overall unemployment rate has fallen from 9.4 to 9.1 percent, while the black unemployment rate has risen from 14.7 to 16.2 percent, according to the Department of Labor.