Racial Inequality

We are researching a variety of different issues within the criminal justice system - here are a few key concepts we have found through our research:

 

1. Almost all state parole board member is appointed by the state's governor with little input from other parties other than a confirmation from the state legislature if they are in session.

2. The median net worth for white households in America is 10 times that of black households, while the black imprisonment rate is nearly 6 times that of the white imprisonment rate. Wealth gap and incarceration rates have a strong correlation and go hand-in-hand, evidence suggests that there is not only a relation but a causal link that ties wealthier households with lower imprisonment.

3. While incarceration marks the most intensive form of criminal justice system contact, even lower levels of criminal justice contact, like arrest and conviction, have the ability to disrupt employment and expose individuals to costly fines and fees, especially within the cash-bail system which remains inaccessible to those with less income.

4. Being charged and being convicted are each independently associated with a roughly half-year delay in entry into first home ownership while incarceration is associated with an additional 1.5-year delay in entry into first homeownership, all else held equal. This often feeds back into the criminal system, as individuals who face housing insecurity are more likely to return to recidivism behavior.

5. Principal residence makes up the largest share of household wealth – more than 6% of total assets – for the vast majority of Americans, much of the black-white wealth gap can be attributed to racial disparities in homeownership rates.

6. Prior research demonstrates that racial disparities in incarceration – which affects financial resources, labor market prospects, and even romantic relationship dissolution – contribute to the black-white homeownership gap.

 

The current phase of the investigation is examining the number of case hearings a criminal justice board holds annually and comparing the states by the percentage of cases that are granted parole and the racial demographics of said cases. We will also search for data on the breakdown of parole revocations if reasonings for these decisions are given to the public.