NCJ Number
138165
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This news report discusses the perception of some expert and lay critics that the American criminal justice system is biased against minorities, particularly blacks.
Abstract
Although, during the past 30 years, new legislation and court rulings have ensured that juries are representative of the community and are generally well-integrated, the overwhelming majority of lawyers and judges are white. While all defendants are guaranteed a lawyer, indigent defendants often receive the services of overworked, underpaid, and less effective attorneys. Most studies that have evaluated the performance of the criminal justice system have found some racial disparities at various stages of the process, while others have discounted any inherent discrimination. The U.S. Department of Justice acknowledges that there are a disproportionate number of black males involved in the criminal justice system, but defends enforcement attempts to hold violators of the law accountable for their crimes. A researcher at the Federal Judicial Center attributes the disparity in average sentence between white and black offenders to minimum sentencing laws that require 5-year sentences for possession or distribution of crack cocaine.