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Paul SMarc, Well, some of the players you mentioned just might be in jail for some of their actions, but I don't know if "most" players would, especially if the percentage(s) of players were compared to the general population at large. Obviously a large part does have to do with access to money, or not, in and out of sports, (and what it can do for a person in the legal system.)
Not to get all sociological here, but if the subject is/was baseball -- and if there is an inordinately larger percentage of minorities (especially African-American) in the prison system than that same percentage in the non-prison general population -- then I doubt that would be true since the number of black players in major league baseball is very low in comparison. A baseball player that I do think might be in jail if not for sports is John Rocker. I can see him being the kind of ignorant guy who'd kill a person in a drunken bar fight and be put away for manslaughter. Of course that's just my speculation.
In football, Ray Lewis might be in jail for his specific actions if not for basketball, but maybe not as a middle class white person for those same actions. In basketball, I'd say the same for Kobe, although personally I think all he did was cheat on his wife. Without basketball, he might have been put away, but as a white person and not a basketball player he might not have been put in prison.
Anyway, I understand your point (and not in the mood to play the ACLU.) This is not to say that a certain amount of players would not or should not be in jail/prison (half the Trailblazers old team), I just don't think "most" players would, not even close. I'll let the education/income topic alone -- my head hurts too much from this. Regards.
*edited for clarity, if that's possible.