Racial justice
From arrest to sentencing, racial and ethnic disparities are a defining characteristic of our criminal justice system. Not only does racial bias pervade the justice process; people of color also face disproportionately high rates of poverty, meaning they suffer from the justice system's unequal treatment of poor people. Black Americans, in particular, are disproportionately likely to be incarcerated and to receive the harshest sentences, including death sentences.
Below is some of our key research on racial disparities in the criminal justice system:
Reports
Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census: State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/Ethnicity
Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census: State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/EthnicityUsing U.S. Census data, we chart racial disparities in incarceration in every state. Our report includes over 200 state graphics.
Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisoned
Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisonedOur first-of-its-kind report breaks down the pre-incarceration incomes of people in prison by race and gender. We find that even before their incarceration, people in prison are much poorer than Americans of similar ages.
Detaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail time
Detaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail timeWe find that affording money bail is impossible for many defendants because the typical money bail amount represents — depending on race and gender of the defendant — between 8 and 13 months of income.
The Racial Geography of Mass Incarceration
The Racial Geography of Mass IncarcerationThe prison construction boom was largely a rural prison construction boom. In this report, we measure one of the downstream results: the degree to which, in each state, mass incarceration has created jobs for white people while disproportionately locking up people of color.
What "Stop-and-Frisk" Really Means: Discrimination & Use of Force
What "Stop-and-Frisk" Really Means: Discrimination & Use of ForceOur analysis of NYPD data on stop-and-frisk shows that the police used physical force in almost a quarter of stops — and that their use of force is also racially discriminatory.
Reaching too far, coming up short: How sentencing enhancement zones miss the mark
Reaching too far, coming up short: How sentencing enhancement zones miss the markIn multiple states, increasing drug sentences in school zones has worsened racial disparities in state prisons by effectively creating higher penalties in urban areas.
Briefings
- The criminal justice system is riddled with racial disparities, by Alison Walsh, August 15, 2016
We explore the various stages at which racial inequity pervades the justice system. - The crippling effect of incarceration on wealth, by Meredith Booker, April 26, 2016
The wealth disparity between young men who experience prison and those who never do is staggering - and contains a heavy racial component. - Policing Women: Race and gender disparities in police stops, searches, and use of force, May 14, 2019
We analyze gender and racial disparities in traffic and street stops, including arrests, searches, and use of force that occurs during stops. - Why do we lock juveniles up for life and throw away the key? Race plays a big part, by Joshua Aiken, September 15, 2016
The United States is the only country in the world that sentences people under 18 to die behind bars. Which states do it, and why? - Police stops are still marred by racial discrimination, new data shows, by Alexi Jones, October 12, 2018
So why does Trump continue to endorse stop-and-frisk? - New poll shows mass incarceration is a Latinx issue, by Lucius Couloute, January 24, 2018
A new poll from Latino Justice PRLDEF shows that the Latinx community is deeply concerned about mass incarceration. - The parallel epidemics of incarceration & HIV in the Deep South, by Emily Widra, September 8, 2017
HIV disproportionately impacts communities that are already marginalized by poverty, inadequate resources, discrimination, and mass incarceration. - Unraveling the connections between race, incarceration, and women's HIV rates, by Wendy Sawyer and Emily Widra, May 8, 2017
Current research points to an unexpected contributor to the high rates of HIV infection among Black women: the mass incarceration of Black men. - The proven truth: Police treat Black Americans with less respect, by Lucius Couloute, June 8, 2017
New research out of Stanford University substantiates what Black America has always known - that police officers treat Blacks differently than they do whites. - @AltBJS highlights important data on racial disparities in the criminal justice system, by Emily Widra, March 7, 2017During Black History Month, the twitter user @AltBJS presented 28 under-discussed facts about racial disparities in the justice system. I collected the sources.
Related issues
Collateral consequences
Collateral consequencesOur reports on the "collateral consequences" of punishment (such as long-lasting barriers to employment) often include race breakdowns, revealing how incarceration has lasting effects for Black and brown communities.
Poverty and debt
Poverty and debtBy focusing law enforcement on low-level offenses and subjecting criminal defendants to money bail and other fees, our country punishes people for being poor. This unequal treatment hits people of color the hardest.
Drug policy
Drug policyHow much of mass incarceration is a result of policies about drugs? We measure the impact of the decades-long drug war and highlight specific policy failures.
Research Library
Didn't find what you were looking for? We also curate a database of virtually all the empirical criminal justice research available online. See the section of our Research Library on race and ethnicity.
Recommended Reading:
Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census:
State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/Ethnicity
Research Library
We curate a searchable database of 2,900+ original research reports, organizing each entry by topic and adding brief summaries.
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie
The U.S. incarcerates 2.3 million people, more than any other country. Where are they locked up and why? Read our report.
Jails and bail: Our research
One out of three people behind bars is in a local jail. Our research drives jail reform.