Ethnicity, Crime and Criminal Prosecution

• In Event: Sentencing 1. Race, Ethnicity and Sentencing

Abstract

Recent meta-analytic results have found that, contrary to public concerns, the United States criminal justice system appears to be largely egalitarian with regards to race/ethnicity and criminal justice sentencing. However, fewer studies have examined this in the context of European criminal justice systems. The current paper details results from a meta-analysis of studies regarding the impact of ethnicity (including race, religion and culture) on criminal justice outcomes in Europe. Distinctions between the US and European results are noted, with practical suggestions for how criminal justice scholars ought to communicate data on ethnicity and sentencing to the public and policy makers.

Authors

• Christopher J Ferguson, Stetson University

• Sven Smith, Stetson University