Understanding Incarceration Disparities: Stage-Level Analysis
Race and Empathy;
Understanding Incarceration Disparities
Research Design
Introduction:
On August 8th, 2013 United States Attorney General Eric Holder made history when he announced the nearing end of the mandatory minimum-era in federal sentencing policy in his speech to the American Bar Association in San Francisco. In his address Holder lamented the condition of the Federal Justice System, expressing concern over astronomical incarceration rates, lack of inmate rehabilitation, and discouraging recidivism rates. It was racial disparities in sentencing, however, which garnered the majority of Holder’s attention. …show more content…
A stage-level analysis is the examination of disparities at each different stage in the judicial process. Wooldredge argues that disparate treatment of races during the stages of their case processing may help account for large variation in incarceration between different racial/age demographics. Over 5,000 felony cases from urban areas in Ohio were included in his study. Specifically, Wooldredge analyzed how race’s impact on sentencing changed when controlling for legal and extra-legal factors such as age, sex, employment status (2012). The study found that there was no significant difference in sentencing between African Americans and Caucasians when controlling for the severity of the crime committed. However, Wooldredge argues, that does not mean there is no racial bias in the process as a whole. Disparities in the treatment of minorities’ early stages of their case process could certainly account for differences in sentencing severity and rates. Black males between the ages of 18 and 29 receive much harsher treatment in the pre-trial stages. They are less likely to be released on their own recognizance and their bail is likely to be higher than their white counterparts. The author concludes hypothesizing that the differences in pre-trial treatment of black and white defendants are likely connected to sentencing disparities. …show more content…
Different authors have measured different groups of variables, with much overlap between. Doermer and Demuth specifically measured the conditioning effects of gender and age upon race (2010, 20). Using enormous troves of data from the United States Sentencing Commission, the authors concluded that the joint effects of multiple characteristics can be much larger than any individual trait (Doermer & Demuth 2010, 20). They found that Hispanics, blacks, males, and younger individuals receive generally harsher sentences than their white, female, elderly counterparts. As acknowledged by the authors, this study was limited in part as it did not account for the socioeconomic status of an offender which other studies have identified as an important sentencing variable (Doerner & Demuth
Understanding Incarceration Disparities
Research Design
Introduction:
On August 8th, 2013 United States Attorney General Eric Holder made history when he announced the nearing end of the mandatory minimum-era in federal sentencing policy in his speech to the American Bar Association in San Francisco. In his address Holder lamented the condition of the Federal Justice System, expressing concern over astronomical incarceration rates, lack of inmate rehabilitation, and discouraging recidivism rates. It was racial disparities in sentencing, however, which garnered the majority of Holder’s attention. …show more content…
A stage-level analysis is the examination of disparities at each different stage in the judicial process. Wooldredge argues that disparate treatment of races during the stages of their case processing may help account for large variation in incarceration between different racial/age demographics. Over 5,000 felony cases from urban areas in Ohio were included in his study. Specifically, Wooldredge analyzed how race’s impact on sentencing changed when controlling for legal and extra-legal factors such as age, sex, employment status (2012). The study found that there was no significant difference in sentencing between African Americans and Caucasians when controlling for the severity of the crime committed. However, Wooldredge argues, that does not mean there is no racial bias in the process as a whole. Disparities in the treatment of minorities’ early stages of their case process could certainly account for differences in sentencing severity and rates. Black males between the ages of 18 and 29 receive much harsher treatment in the pre-trial stages. They are less likely to be released on their own recognizance and their bail is likely to be higher than their white counterparts. The author concludes hypothesizing that the differences in pre-trial treatment of black and white defendants are likely connected to sentencing disparities. …show more content…
Different authors have measured different groups of variables, with much overlap between. Doermer and Demuth specifically measured the conditioning effects of gender and age upon race (2010, 20). Using enormous troves of data from the United States Sentencing Commission, the authors concluded that the joint effects of multiple characteristics can be much larger than any individual trait (Doermer & Demuth 2010, 20). They found that Hispanics, blacks, males, and younger individuals receive generally harsher sentences than their white, female, elderly counterparts. As acknowledged by the authors, this study was limited in part as it did not account for the socioeconomic status of an offender which other studies have identified as an important sentencing variable (Doerner & Demuth