Black prisoners in the US

Was Oscar-winner John Legend right to say that there are more black men ‘under correctional control’ in the United States now than were in slavery in 1850? Ruth Alexander and Wesley Stephenson look into the statistics, and consider how US prisoner numbers compare with those of other countries.

Plus, how many Lego bricks, stacked one on top of the other, would it take to destroy the bottom brick? Ruth and the UK’s Open University engineering department find out.

Producer: Ruth Alexander

(Image: Common and John Legend accept the Best Original Song Award for 'Glory' from 'Selma' at the 2015 Oscars. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)