Static versus Dynamic Measures of Racial/Ethnic Threat: Examining its Impact on Sentencing Decisions

• In Event: Determinants of Sentencing Outcomes

Abstract

There is an existing empirical debate about the best measure of racial/ethnic threat for Hubert Blalock’s theory. Some scholars use a static measure of threat while other scholars use a dynamic measure of threat. The purpose of this research is to compare the two measures of threat in examining sentencing outcomes in the two northeastern states. Using data from over 100,000 sentenced defendants, this study examines the utility of dynamic versus static measures of racial/ethnic threat. Implications from these results and directions for subsequent research will be discussed.

Authors

• Kareem Jordan, Prairie View A&M University

• Rimonda Maroun, Endicott College