Incarceration and Immigrants: Understanding Sentencing of Haitian Immigrants in the U.S.

• In Event: Immigration and Sentencing

Abstract

Abstract

In the United States, the recent increase in immigrant populations has renewed public and political interest in the societal costs associated with these immigrant groups. Recent research has focused particular attention on understanding the effect of immigration and criminal offending and social control efforts. Although there has been significant attention devoted toward understanding these relationships few studies have specifically explored sentencing patterns of black immigrant groups. It is unclear whether the punishment of black immigrant groups resembles that of black U.S. natives. Using Florida Sentencing Guideline data from 2000 -2002, the purpose of the current study is to explore sentencing outcomes of Haitian immigrants. This research builds on prior sentencing literature by extending the analyses beyond the Black-White divide to include a sizeable immigrant group.

Author

• Malisa Neptune, Florida State University