Older and more recent evidence on racial discrimination in sentencing

Examination of previous studies of racial discrimination in sentencing indicates more widespread evidence of discrimination than allowed in three separate reviews by M. J. Hindelang [(1969). J. Crim. Law Criminal. Police Sci. 60: 306–313], J. Hagan [(1975). In The Aldine Crime and Justice Annual , A...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Kempf Leonard, Kimberly (Author) ; Austin, Roy L. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 1986
In: Journal of quantitative criminology
Year: 1986, Volume: 2, Issue: 1, Pages: 29-48
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Summary:Examination of previous studies of racial discrimination in sentencing indicates more widespread evidence of discrimination than allowed in three separate reviews by M. J. Hindelang [(1969). J. Crim. Law Criminal. Police Sci. 60: 306–313], J. Hagan [(1975). In The Aldine Crime and Justice Annual , Aldine, Chicago], and G. Kleck [(1981). Am. Social. Rev. 46: 783-805]. It is not the case, as these reviewers suggest, that racial discrimination is a thing of the past, shown almost exclusively for capital offences from the American South, and often supported only because relevant legal variables were not controlled. In addition, analysis of recent (1977) data from a non-Southern state (Pennsylvania) covering noncapital offenses and including recommended controls shows that evidence of racial disparity in sentencing is revealed more clearly when separate analyses are conducted within levels of urbanization. The labeling perspective and conflict theory guide our interpretation.
ISSN:1573-7799
DOI:10.1007/BF01064594