Race, Prosecutorial Decisions, and Neighborhood Context: A Case Study on Cumulative Disadvantage from Montgomery County Maryland

• In Event: Inequalities and social justice in the CJS: Remembering Anat Kimchi

Abstract

There is growing interest in understanding cumulative disadvantage in court processing—specifically, how early case processing decisions create accumulating disadvantages over time and across various stages of the punishment process, particularly for racial minorities (Kutateladze et al., 2014). However, few studies have examined the neighborhood context where defendants reside, as racial minorities often live in socioeconomically distinct neighborhoods compared to their White counterparts. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether key neighborhood characteristics, such as concentrated disadvantage and racial composition, account for patterns of cumulative racial and ethnic disparities in prosecution decisions and sentencing (e.g., conviction, dismissal, guilty pleas, incarceration). Utilizing data from the Montgomery County City State’s Attorney’s Office (MCSAO) from 2017 to 2019, 2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2017-2021), and data from the Montgomery County Police Department, we employ hierarchical generalized linear models (HGLM) to examine how neighborhood conditions impact the relationship between defendants’ race/ethnicity and criminal justice outcomes. Further, we perform a series of multilevel logistic regressions by incorporating outcomes from prior decision points as controls for subsequent judicial processing events to reveal potential cumulative disadvantages in case processing. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical implications and propose directions for future research.

Authors

• Carol Xuanying Chen, Susquehanna University

• Brian D. Johnson, University of Maryland

• Miranda Galvin, Penn State University

• Allison Redlich, George Mason University