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Today we release a report exploring the persistent racial disparities in the Massachusetts criminal system:
http://bit.ly/RDReportDownload. Here are some of our key findings:
http://bit.ly/RDReportDownload. Here are some of our key findings:
White people make up roughly 74% of the MA population while accounting for 58.7% of cases in our data. Meanwhile, Black people make up just 6.5% of the MA population & account for 17.1% of cases.
Black and Latinx people are less likely than White people to have their cases resolved through less severe dispositions such as pretrial probation or continuances without finding (CWOFs).
Black and Latinx people sentenced to incarceration receive longer sentences than their White counterparts, with Black people receiving sentences that are an average of 168 days longer and Latinx people receiving sentences that are an average of 148 days longer.
Black and Latinx people charged with drug offenses and weapons offenses are more likely to be incarcerated and receive longer incarceration sentences than White people charged with similar offenses.
Black and Latinx people charged with offenses carrying mandatory minimum sentences are substantially more likely to be incarcerated and receive longer sentences than White people facing charges carrying mandatory minimum incarceration sentences.
Among those sentenced to a state prison (i.e. cases w/ charges carrying longest sentences and w/ largest disparities), Black and Latinx people are convicted of charges equal in severity to their White counterparts despite facing more serious initial charges and longer sentences.
