An Examination of the Influences on Judicial Sentencing Decisions

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Many factors may impact decisions made in court settings, including non-legal influences such as race and ethnicity. Institutional racism refers to specific policies and/or procedures of institutions (i.e., law enforcement agencies, government, businesses, schools, churches, etc.) which consistently result in unequal treatment for particular groups (Chaney, 2015). Specifically, minority group members are shown to receive harsher sentences for the same offense when compared to their White counterparts (Iles, 2009; Farrell, 2009). Additionally, the effect of race can be seen in multiple stages and levels of the court process; for example, juvenile intake and disposition both show disproportionately more severe outcomes for Black youths (Peck and Jennings, 2016). In a 2 part study, we first examined the knowledge and perceptions of extralegal influences on judicial decisions generally through a brief online survey given to college students, faculty, and staff. Second, we analyzed the influence race plays in decisions made in town/village courts through a content analysis of case files. Results and implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Denise Torres, The College at Brockport, SUNY

• Megan Kienzle, The College at Brockport, SUNY