Race Effects of Representation among Federal Court Workers: Does Black Workforce Representation Reduce Sentencing Disparities?

Abstract

Increasing racial group representation among justice professionals is considered a potential remedy to inequality in the administration of justice, including racial disparities in sentencing. Research shows mixed effects of decision maker race on sentencing. Most studies focus exclusively on the significance of individual judges' status characteristics, however, failing to consider racial group representation among other court actors. The authors consider whether such representation within and across multiple categories of court workers—judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and probation officers—relates to federal sentencing out comes. Findings reveal that the effect of defendant race on imprisonment decisions differs across judicial districts and is influenced by variable levels of black workforce representation. Specifically, districts with greater black representation among prosecutors are distinguished by more racially equitable odds of incar ceration. Conversely, increased black representation among probation officers is associated with greater disparity between the sentences of blacks and whites.