The Independent and Interactive Effects of Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Offense Type on Criminal Sentencing

• In Event: Disparities in Punishment

Abstract

A significant amount of research has examined factors influencing sentencing decisions in criminal courts. Research generally finds that Black and Latino defendants are sentenced more harshly than White defendants. The body of research also finds that males are sentenced more severely than females. Finally, scholars have found that type of offense (e.g., property, drug, person, etc.) significantly impacts the sentencing decision. Using data from a large northeastern state of over 600,000 convicted defendants, I examine the independent and combined effects of these variables on sentencing using a series of two-way and three-way interaction terms. The findings suggest the effects of each variable (e.g., race) is contingent on the values of other variables (e.g., type of offense) regarding the impact on sentencing. Policy implications and directions for future research will also be discussed.

Author

• Kareem L. Jordan, American University