Examining American Indian Disadvantage: Social Context and Federal Sentencing Decisions

• In Event: Innovative Scopes of Race in Sentencing Decisions

Abstract

Prior literature suggests that minorities are sentenced more harshly than similarly situated White offenders. Although the Black-White and Latino-White disparities have been examined and thus identified, less is known about whether disparities extend to other minority groups, and consequently little is known about the treatment of these neglected groups. Further, although recent research has investigated how social context affects Black-White and Latino-White disparities, this body of research has not assessed if social context impacts how other minority groups are treated. To address this gap in prior literature on race, social context, and sentencing, I focus on one neglected group—American Indians, and examine how American Indians are treated compared to other racial and ethnic groups, and if social context amplifies American Indian disadvantage. To this end, I draw on the focal concerns and minority threat perspectives and analyze data from the Federal Justice Statistics Program Data Series and the U.S. Census. Implications for theory, research, and policy will be discussed.

Author

• Erica Redner-Vera, Arizona State University