1. The Criminal Justice System Racial Disparities http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

2. 1997 Executions 74 people were executed in the U.S. Racial Breakdown 39 white 26 black 9 of other races

3. Hate Crimes Lynchings through mid-1950s Crimes directed at Asians, Blacks, and Homosexuals among others 1998: James Byrd, Jr (49 year old Black Man): beaten, sprayed in the face with black paint, chained by his ankles to a pick-up truck, and dragged for three miles along an isolated logging road in East Texas

4. What does this mean? Does this mean that blacks are more likely to commit crimes that result in the death penalty? Does it mean that the criminal justice system discriminates against blacks in such a way that they are more likely than whites to receive the death penalty? Should we have laws that carry tougher penalties when people are targeted because of the group they belong to?

5. Hate Crimes, 1998 (FBI) Race/EthnicicityNumber Anti-White 792 Anti-Black2,901 Anti-Indian 52 Anti-Asian 293 Anti-Jewish1,081 Anti-Hispanic 482

6. Lifetime likelihood of going to State or Federal prison If recent incarceration rates remain unchanged, an estimated 1 of every 20 persons (5.1%) will serve time in a prison during their lifetime. Lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for -- men (9%) than for women (1.1%) -- blacks (16.2%) and Hispanics (9.4%) than for whites (2.5%)

7. Prison Statistics, continued Based on current rates of first incarceration, an estimated 28% of black males will enter State or Federal prison during their lifetime, compared to 16% of Hispanic males and 4.4% of white males Sixty-four percent of prison inmates belonged to racial or ethnic minorities in 2001

9. Racial Differences in Victimization According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, in 2000 about 49% of murder victims were white, 49% were black, and 2% were Asians, Pacific Islander, and Native Americans. In 2000, per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in each racial group, 35 blacks, 27 whites, and 21 of other races were victims of violence.

10. Federal Drug Cases, 1999 Almost half (46%) of those charged with a drug offense were identified as Hispanic; 28%, black; 25%, white; and 2%, other racial or ethnic groups. Sandefur’s experience as an expert witness: cocaine, the Gorilla bandit, and Indian reservations

11. What the Hell is Going On? Criminal Activity Arrests Convictions Sentencing

12. Possible Explanations of Racial Differences in Criminal Activity Social Control Theory Differential Association Structural Strain Labeling Theory Rational Choice Models Which one would Anderson choose?

13. Solutions Reduce structural strain by increasing legitimate opportunities Deterrence through strict enforcement, mandatory sentencing

14. Conclusions Members of minority groups are in general more likely to be the victims of crime and more likely to be imprisoned for crimes. Current approach based largely on social control and deterrence models Question: how much would a reduction in racial inequality reduce racial differences in criminal victimization and imprisonment?