Future Projects
Research Studies
The Color of Prison: Exposing Race-Biased Sentencing
Most illicit drug users in America are white men, and even though the rate of use is slightly higher among blacks, the disparity in the jail time meted out far exceeds the racial difference in drug use.
According to the Human Rights Watch, "racial disparities are a national scandal…Black and white drug offenders get radically different treatment in the American justice system."
The focus of this study will be racial-biased sentencing in Alabama
Does Unconscious Racial Bias Affect Trial Judges?
Race matters in the criminal justice system. Black defendants appear to fare worse than similarly situated white defendants. Why? Implicit bias is one possibility. Research has found that most white Americans harbor implicit bias toward Black Americans. Do judges, who are professionally committed to egalitarian norms, hold these same implicit biases? And if so, do these biases account for racially disparate outcomes in the criminal justice system? This study will explore these two research questions in a multi-part study involving a large sample of trial judges drawn from around Alabama.
A Reconsideration of the Effects of Race in Criminal Sentencing
Despite the large quantity of research on the criminal sentencing process, there is little agreement on how the process actually operates. This study will add the effects of juvenile records upon adult sentences. Using data from official Alabama prison records and juvenile detention data, this study is expected to find that blacks with a prior juvenile record received a much harsher punishment that whites with the same offense charge and similar background characteristics. This study is expected to find conflict perspectives on sentencing which suggests that extra-legal factors have an important bearing on sentencing decisions.
Police Misconduct
Misconduct by law enforcement personnel is an ongoing problem. Articles appear in the media almost daily on police officers that not only abused citizens but, just as importantly, attempted to "doctor" or hide evidence from the prosecuting attorney’s office. This study will delve into the problem of Police Misconduct and will include the current scandal that is playing out within the Birmingham Police Department.
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