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Racial and Ethnic Sentencing Differentials in the Federal Criminal Justice System

Author

Listed:
  • Brendon McConnell
  • Imran Rasul

Abstract

A large body of multidisciplinary research has documented how sentencing outcomes vary tremendously across racial and ethnic groups. The research challenge lies in establishing whether these sentencing differentials are driven by unobserved heterogeneity correlated to defendant race/ethnicity, or whether they reflect discrimination. We add to the debate by examining the robustness of racial/ethnic sentencing gaps, by gender, when allowing for selection on unobservables. We do so in the context of federal criminal cases, considering 250,000 cases, and using a dataset containing a rich set of covariates relating to defendant and legal characteristics of cases.

Suggested Citation

  • Brendon McConnell & Imran Rasul, 2018. "Racial and Ethnic Sentencing Differentials in the Federal Criminal Justice System," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 108, pages 241-245, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:108:y:2018:p:241-45
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20181006
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    Cited by:

    1. Chiara Broccolini & Giulia Lotti & Alessandro Maffioli & Andrea F Presbitero & Rodolfo Stucchi, 2021. "Mobilization Effects of Multilateral Development Banks," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 35(2), pages 521-543.
    2. Ferdi Botha & John P. de New & Sonja C. de New & David C. Ribar & Nicolás Salamanca, 2020. "COVID-19 labour market shocks and their inequality implications for financial wellbeing," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2020n15, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    3. d'Este, Rocco & Yuchtman, Noam, 2023. "Correcting Racial Injustice: Forensic DNA Technology and the Exoneration of the Wrongfully Convicted," IZA Discussion Papers 16076, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Nicole Black & Sonja C. de New, 2020. "Short, Heavy and Underrated? Teacher Assessment Biases by Children's Body Size," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 82(5), pages 961-987, October.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • K41 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Litigation Process
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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