Bias in the Law : A Definitive Look at Racial Prejudice in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

Racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system is much debated and discussed, but until now, no single volume has covered the full expanse of the issue. In Bias in the Law, sixteen outstanding experts address the impact of racial bias in the full roster of criminal justice actors. They examine the role of legislators crafting criminal justice legislation, community enforcers, and police, as well as prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, judges, and jurors. Understanding when and why bias arises, as well as how it impacts defendants requires a clear understanding how each of these actors operate. Contributions touch on other crucial topics-racialized drug stigma, legal technology, and interventions-that are vital for understanding how the United States has reached this moment of stark racial disparity in incarceration. The result is an important entry into understanding the pervasiveness of racial bias, how such bias impacts legal outcomes, and why such impact matters. This is an issue that is as relevant today as it was fifty-or even one hundred fifty-years ago, and collection editors Joseph Avery and Joel Cooper provide a glimpse at how to proceed. Cover Bias in the Law Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at Racial Prejudice in the U.S. Criminal Justice System Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Overview of the Volume References Chapter 1 The Criminal Justice System as an Instrument of Oppression INTRODUCTION Social Dominance Theory Laws of Law Self-Debilitating Behavior Conclusion Notes References Chapter 2 A Telephone Game INTRODUCTION Stage I: The Caller and Threat Stage II: The Dispatcher Stage III: The First Responders Future Directions References Chapter 3 Implicit Bias, the Power of Institutions, and How to Reduce Racial Disparities in Policing INTRODUCTION Evidence of Racial Disparities in Policing Tossing Out the “Few Bad Apples” Narrative Changing Institutions to Mitigate Racial Disparities in Policing and Improve Police-Community Relations Conclusion References Chapter 4 Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Prosecution, and What Can Be Done to Change the Status Quo The Nature and Scope of Racial Disparities in Prosecution Prosecutorial Views about Racial Disparities and How to Address Them Notes References Chapter 5 Racial Bias, the Defense, and the Challenge of Understanding INTRODUCTION Bias in Criminal Defense Can You Hear Me? Institutional Settings The Barriers Arising from Different “Languages” Addressing Bias in the Law Conclusion References Chapter 6 Biases in Judicial Decision-Making INTRODUCTION How to Analyze the Decisions of Judges Conclusion Notes References Chapter 7 The Effects of Racial Bias and Jury Diversity on Juror Decision-Making Race in the Justice System Racial and Out-Group Bias in Jury Simulation Studies Jury Diversity Closing Remarks Conclusion Note References Chapter 8 Racial Disparities in Drug Sanctions RACIAL DISPARITIES IN DRUG SANCTIONS: SOURCES AND SOLUTIONS References Chapter 9 Technology in the Legal System INTRODUCTION Bias in Technology Bias in Legal Technology Legal Technology for Good Essentials for Using Legal Technology to Correct for Bias A Potential Use Case of Technology to Correct for Bias in the Law Conclusion Notes References Chapter 10 Promoting Fairness? INTRODUCTION Content Shared in Implicit Bias Trainings The Salience of Identity Anxiety and Stereotype Threat Application: Prosecutors’ Offices Possible Decision Points Influenced by Bias Possible Interventions for Bias Further Research Goals Conclusion References Author Index Subject Index About the Contributors About the Editors Sixteen experts address the impact of racial bias in the full roster of criminal justice actors. They examine the role of legislators crafting criminal justice legislation, community enforcers, and police, as well as prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, judges, and jurors. Understanding when and why bias arises, as well as how it impacts defendants, requires a clear understanding how each of these actors operate. Contributions touch on other crucial topics--racialized drug stigma, legal technology, and interventions: that are vital for understanding how the United States has reached this moment of stark racial disparity in incarceration. The result is an important entry into understanding the pervasiveness of racial bias, how such bias impacts legal outcomes, and why such impact matters. --From publisher description Bias In The Law Addresses Racial Bias Across The Full Roster Of Criminal Justice Actors-from Legislators To Community Members To Police Officers, From Prosecutors And Criminal Defense Attorneys To Judges And Jurors. The Result Is A Key Entry Into Understanding Bias In The Law, ..