This 2-year study compared the treatment of white and minority offenders at key decision points in the criminal justice processing of approximately 1,400 male prison inmates in California, Michigan, and Texas. Study data came from the California Offender-Based Transaction Statistics which tracks offender-processing from arrest to sentencing, and the Rand Inmate Survey which yielded data from self-reports of approximately 1,400 male prison inmates in California, Michigan, and Texas. Prior research on discrimination in the criminal justice system produced controversial and contradictory findings. Section II discusses the problems with this research and briefly describes the data and methodology. Section III describes the workings of the criminal justice system and identifies racial differences in case-processing revealed in some of the data. Section IV analyzes more of the data for racial differences in crime-commission rates and the probability of being arrested. Section V looks at racial differences following the imposition of a court sentence. Section VI explores racial differences in offender characteristics, specifically: crime motivation, weapon use, and prison violence. Section VII summarizes the findings and presents the conclusions of the study. Although the case-processing system generally treated offenders similarly, there were racial differences at two key points. Minority suspects were more likely than whites to be released after arrest; however, after a felony conviction, minority offenders were more likely than whites to be given longer sentences and to be put in prison instead of jail. There were no statistically significant differences that implied discrimination against minorities in corrections.

First published a decade ago, No Equal Justice is the seminal work on race- and class-based double standards in criminal justice. Hailed as a ''shocking and necessary book'' by The Economist, it has become the standard reference point for anyone trying to understand the fundamental inequalities in the American legal system. The book, written by constitutional law scholar and civil liberties advocate David Cole, was named the best nonfiction book of 1999 by the Boston Book Review and the best book on an issue of national policy by the American Political Science Association. No Equal Justice examines subjects ranging from police behavior and jury selection to sentencing, and argues that our system does not merely fail to live up to the promise of equality, but actively requires double standards to operate. Such disparities, Cole argues, allow the privileged to enjoy constitutional protections from police power without paying the costs associated with extending those protections across the board to minorities and the poor. For this new, tenth-anniversary paperback edition, Cole has completely updated and revised the book, reflecting the substantial changes and developments that have occurred since first publication.

′The social landscape of ′race′ and ′ethnicity′ within contemporary Britain has become increasingly diverse and complex. The old, exclusive research emphasis in criminology on the outcomes of social inequalities and policies is now challenged by an appreciation of how race and ethnicity are constructed and other theoretical perspectives. This collection of papers will introduce students to these subjects, and do so usefully by addressing contemporary themes that must be given attention by criminologists.′ - Professor Simon Holdaway, University of Sheffield ′This collection provides useful and up-to-date information on the response of police, prosecution, prisons and probation services to the challenges of increasing ethnic diversity. It is an excellent source for students and practitioners concerned with reforming policy and improving practice.′ - Professor David J. Smith, University of Edinburgh & London School of Economics This text delivers a comprehensive overview of race and ethnicity across the criminal justice system. It unpacks terms such as ′race′, ′diversity′ and ′multiculturalism′ to equip students with a thorough understanding of this complex subject area. Featuring chapters by leading experts, Race and Criminal Justice provides a specialist introduction to each area of the criminal justice system, including police, prosecution, prisons and probation. It also features stimulating discussion of contemporary issues, such as criminal justice responses to refugees and asylum seekers, and the experiences of Muslims within the criminal justice system post-9/11 and 7/7. Each chapter follows a consistent structure, offering: " an overview of key theories relating to the study of race, ethnicity and criminal justice " analysis of research, policy and practice " chapter summaries and further reading to support understanding.

Proactive policing, as a strategic approach used by police agencies to prevent crime, is a relatively new phenomenon in the United States. It developed from a crisis in confidence in policing that began to emerge in the 1960s because of social unrest, rising crime rates, and growing skepticism regarding the effectiveness of standard approaches to policing. In response, beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, innovative police practices and policies that took a more proactive approach began to develop. This report uses the term "proactive policing" to refer to all policing strategies that have as one of their goals the prevention or reduction of crime and disorder and that are not reactive in terms of focusing primarily on uncovering ongoing crime or on investigating or responding to crimes once they have occurred. Proactive policing is distinguished from the everyday decisions of police officers to be proactive in specific situations and instead refers to a strategic decision by police agencies to use proactive police responses in a programmatic way to reduce crime. Today, proactive policing strategies are used widely in the United States. They are not isolated programs used by a select group of agencies but rather a set of ideas that have spread across the landscape of policing. Proactive Policing reviews the evidence and discusses the data and methodological gaps on: (1) the effects of different forms of proactive policing on crime; (2) whether they are applied in a discriminatory manner; (3) whether they are being used in a legal fashion; and (4) community reaction. This report offers a comprehensive evaluation of proactive policing that includes not only its crime prevention impacts but also its broader implications for justice and U.S. communities.

This book examines the role of the public and policy makers in enabling the race problem in the American criminal justice system.

How the attorney-client relationship favors the privileged in criminal court—and denies justice to the poor and to working-class people of color The number of Americans arrested, brought to court, and incarcerated has skyrocketed in recent decades. Criminal defendants come from all races and economic walks of life, but they experience punishment in vastly different ways. Privilege and Punishment examines how racial and class inequalities are embedded in the attorney-client relationship, providing a devastating portrait of inequality and injustice within and beyond the criminal courts. Matthew Clair conducted extensive fieldwork in the Boston court system, attending criminal hearings and interviewing defendants, lawyers, judges, police officers, and probation officers. In this eye-opening book, he uncovers how privilege and inequality play out in criminal court interactions. When disadvantaged defendants try to learn their legal rights and advocate for themselves, lawyers and judges often silence, coerce, and punish them. Privileged defendants, who are more likely to trust their defense attorneys, delegate authority to their lawyers, defer to judges, and are rewarded for their compliance. Clair shows how attempts to exercise legal rights often backfire on the poor and on working-class people of color, and how effective legal representation alone is no guarantee of justice. Superbly written and powerfully argued, Privilege and Punishment draws needed attention to the injustices that are perpetuated by the attorney-client relationship in today’s criminal courts, and describes the reforms needed to correct them.