Shocking new study. Prison can actually extend the life of black men

I don’t know if African Americans should be offended at this? Should society as a whole be embarrassed?

Or should this be a wake up call for the times we live in. Frankly where do you file this one?

The surprising new study says prison can actually extend the life-span of black men.

The study out of North Carolina found black males were about half as likely to die at any given time if they were behind bars instead of on the streets.

Incarceration specifically spared black inmates from alcohol- and drug-related deaths, as well as some chronic diseases, the researchers found.

"For some populations, being in prison likely provides benefits in regards to access to healthcare and life expectancy," said study author Dr. David Rosen of the University of North Carolina.

The pattern do not hold for white prisoners, who were slightly more likely to die in prison than on the outside – but only once they passed the age of 50.

The study examined the records of 100,000 male inmates between ages 20 and 70 who were held in North Carolina prisons between 1995 and 2005.

According to the numbers, black inmates were more than 30% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease or cancer than non-prisoners.

They were also less likely to die of diabetes, accidents, suicide, murder and alcohol or drug-related causes, the study reported.

"It's important to remember that there are many possible negative consequences of imprisonment – for example, broken relationships, loss of employment opportunities, and greater entrenchment in criminal activities – that are not reflected in our study," Rosen said.

Those issues, he noted, "have an important influence on prisoners' lives and their overall health