Political Ideology and Attitudes Toward Pretrial Justice: Exploring the Mediating Role of Racial Resentment

• In Event: Attitudes About Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice Policy

Abstract

Although jurisdictions across the U.S. have implemented pretrial justice reforms with varying support from lawmakers across the political divide, there is limited research exploring public perceptions of pretrial justice. The current study explores possible partisan dimensions of pretrial justice attitudes, focusing on perceptions and beliefs surrounding pretrial supervision, unconvicted defendants, and the pretrial process. Given recent research highlighting the influence of racial resentment on attitudes toward criminal justice, we use mediation analyses to test whether racial resentment mediates any relationship between political ideology and pretrial justice attitudes. Findings indicate that, relative to conservatives, liberals are less concerned about crime, safety, and cost but more about innocence, due process, and unfair punishment. These associations operate directly and indirectly via racial resentment; conservatives report higher racial resentment, and racial resentment is associated with attitudes regarding nearly every aspect of pretrial justice. Consequently, addressing modern racism is critical for bipartisan pretrial justice reform.

Authors

• Stacie St. Louis, American University

• Nick Petersen, University of Miami