Public Knowledge About Black Americans’ Criminal Justice Contact: A National Survey Experiment

• In Event: The University of Cincinnati Crime and Justice Public Opinion Lab: Part I

Abstract

Over the last 25 years, there has been a remarkable decline in Black Americans’ contact with the U.S. criminal justice (CJ) system. Whereas the negative effects of mass incarceration on Black Americans may be more well known among the American public, the downward trend in Black Americans’ CJ involvement has received less attention in the media and in public and political discourse. Public opinion is a key element in the social context that will likely affect future CJ trends. In this context, the current study analyzes data from a national survey conducted via YouGov (N ≈ 2,000). Through a series of embedded experiments we examine: (a) to what degree are U.S. adults are aware that Black Americans’ rate of contact with the CJ system has declined?; (b) when made aware of the downward trend, how does the public explain it?; and (c) how does providing information about the downward trend affect the public’s perceptions of fairness and legitimacy in the legal system, their support for different policies, and their willingness to take personal actions to support successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated people? The implications of our findings for criminal justice policies aimed at further promoting these trends will be discussed.

Authors

• Audrey Hickert, University of Cincinnati

• Leah C. Butler, University of Cincinnati

• J.Z. Bennett, University of Cincinnati