Chapter 19
Race, Ethnicity,
and Corrections
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
Race, Ethnicity, and Corrections
 The Concepts of Race and Ethnicity
 Visions of Race and Punishment
 The View of Differential Criminality
 The View of a Racist Criminal
Justice System
 The View of a Racist Society
 Which is it Race or Racism?
 The Significance of Race and
Punishment
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
“race”

traditionally, a biological concept
used to distinguish humankind
into categories related to skin
color & other physical features
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
“ethnicity”
 concept
used to distinguish people
according to their cultural
characteristics--language, religion, &
group traditions
ethnicity
can be used to further
distinguish not only among white
individuals, but among African
Americans, as well.
it can also be used to even further
subdivide Hispanics.
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
“disparity”

the inequality of treatment of one
group (compared to the treatment
accorded other groups) by the
criminal justice system
disparity
may be based on legal (e.g.,
criminal record) or illegal, or improper,
(e.g., race) grounds
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
“discrimination”
 differential
treatment of groups
without reference to an
individual’s behavior or
qualifications
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
crime, race & ethnicity
by the numbers
 fact:
men of color, especially, young men,
are disproportionately locked up in U.S.
prisons & jails, or otherwise under control
of the criminal justice system in America:
1/2 U.S. prison population is black
black men are 7 times more likely than whites
to have been incarcerated at some time in
prison
 1 in 3 black men in their 20s is under
correctional supervision in U.S.
 56% of young black men in Baltimore…
 50% of black men 18-35 in D.C.


Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
Racial Disparity in State Prison Systems
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
Explanations of racial disparity in
criminal justice
alternative views: why men of color are disproportionately
represented in criminal justice system
query: does disparity in criminal justice system
amount to discrimination?
differential
criminality
racist criminal justice
system
racist society
they do more (serious)
crimes, with more
serious prior records,
other characteristics
warranting prison
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
“self-report
study”
 an
investigation of behavior (like
criminal activity) based on
subjects’ responses to questions
concerning their involvement in
those activities
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
Children in Poverty, by Race and
Ethnicity
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
Average Family Income , 2004
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
“Myths in Corrections”
The
Myth: The way families are
affected by incarceration of young
fathers is felt equally by all racial
groups.
The Reality: Almost one in ten
(9.3%) of all African American
children had a father in prison or
jail, and this compares with 3.5%
of Hispanic children and 1.2% of
white children.
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
Explanations of racial disparity in
criminal justice
alternative views: why men of color are disproportionately
represented in criminal justice system
query: does disparity in criminal justice system
amount to discrimination?
differential
criminality
racist criminal
justice system
they do more (serious)
crimes, with more
serious prior records,
other characteristics
warranting prison
incremental decisions
all across criminal
justice system work to
their disadvantage;
but no obvious racism
racist society
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
Explanations of racial disparity in
criminal justice
alternative views: why men of color are disproportionately
represented in criminal justice system
query: does disparity in criminal justice system
amount to discrimination?
differential
criminality
racist criminal justice
system
racist society
they do more (serious)
crimes, with more
serious prior records,
other characteristics
warranting prison
incremental decisions
all across criminal
justice system work to
their disadvantage;
but no obvious racism
criminal justice
system is simply a
reflection of racism in
American society
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
evidence of broader racism
 crack
cocaine (used in greater proportion by
inner-city people of color) is punished 100
times more severely (by federal sentencing
guidelines) than its virtually identical whitepowder equivalent (used in greater
proportion by white offenders)
 stronger association between unemployment
rates & imprisonment rates than between
crime rates & imprisonment rates
 relationship between racism & criminal
justice system may be reciprocal,
perpetuating minority status & criminality
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th
social significance of race and
punishment
 opportunity




costs for minority individuals
cannot be earning a living
cannot be attending school
cannot be parenting
cannot be voting and partaking of “free” society
 opportunity
costs for minority communities
alienation of entire generation of young adults
from involvement & commitment to larger
society
 social disruption, due to absence of major
segment of its adult population
 generalized suspicion of criminal justice system
by major portion of society

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 8th