Contra Costa jail bookings on rise, reflecting disproportionate number of Black arrestees

by Tony Hicks, Bay City News July 26, 2023July 24, 2023

Green and black ribbons displayed on trees outside the county district attorney's office in Martinez in March 2022 aim to raise awareness of mental health and social justice issues. A report by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office found that Blacks and Hispanics together accounted for roughly two-thirds of the county's jail bookings in the first half of 2023 despite representing 9.5 percent and 27 percent, respectively, of the county's population. Total arrests in the county are up so far this year compared to 2022. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)

More than 31 percent of people booked into Contra Costa County jails from April to June of this year were Black, despite the latest U.S. Census numbers finding that African Americans make up only 9.5 percent of the county’s population.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office recently presented its quarterly oversight report to the Board of Supervisors.

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