The question of racial bias in the criminal justice system is a highly debated issue. In recent years, it has become a common belief that the criminal justice system is racially biased, wherein black and Latino defendants receive harsher sentences than whites or Asian defendants. But the empirical research does not fully support these perceptions, according to a recently published meta-analysis.
After carefully reviewing 51 studies published between 2005 and 2022, authors Chris Ferguson and Sven Smith of Stetson University found little compelling evidence of racial bias in criminal sentencing, ultimately concluding that “the criminal justice system appears to be remarkably neutral.”
Rev Red