NCJ Number
244825
Date Published
2013
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This report presents the proceedings from a conference examining the need to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system.
Abstract
This report from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers presents the proceedings from a conference examining the need to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system. The conference, held in October 2012, brought together prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, scholars, community leaders, and formerly incarcerated inmates to identify practical reforms for addressing the problem of racial disparity at every stage of the criminal justice process. The conference began with an analysis of the scope of racial disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, and their impact on the fundamental values underlying the system. Participants also discussed ways to deal with these disparities including litigation and legislation. Additional areas of discussion included 1) Charging, Plea Bargains, and Diversion; 2) Pretrial Incarceration; 3) Jury Selection; 4) Search, Seizure, and Identification Issues; 5) Sentencing and Community Corrections - A Tale of Two Systems; and 6) Community Justice. The final section of the report includes two recommendations for dealing with racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. These recommendations are 1) structural reform at points of entry and sentencing, and 2) fair administration of justice reforms to minimize the impact of existing racial and economic disparities. Endnotes and appendixes