FSU Systematic Reviews of Research on Race and Sentencing Discussion

A substantial volume of empirical research on race and sentencing has been conducted. This includes many older studies that have been the focus of systematic reviews of research on race and sentencing as well as very recent empirical studies up through the present. Describe this research, being sure to emphasize key conclusions that can be reached regarding (1) the effects of defendants’ race or ethnicity on sentencing outcomes and (2) the circumstances that influence the degree to which race/ethnicity matters for sentencing.