Prosecution & Racial Justice in New York County: Study Examines Racial Disparities in Criminal Case Outcomes

From the description:

The Vera Institute of Justice has released an NIJ-funded study involving researchers who partnered with the District Attorney of New York County (DANY) to examine racial and ethnic disparities in criminal case outcomes in New York County. The two-year study focused on the role of prosecutors during several points of a criminal case – case acceptance for prosecution, dismissals, pretrial detention, plea bargaining, and sentencing recommendations – and whether prosecutorial discretion contributes to racially and ethnically disparate outcomes.

The report found that the best predictors of case outcomes were factors that directly pertained to legal aspects of a case – including the seriousness of the charge, the defendant’s prior record, and the offense type, but race remained a factor in case outcomes. DANY prosecutes nearly all cases with no racial or ethnic difference at case screening, but for subsequent decisions, racially and ethnic disparities varied by prosecutor decision point and offense category. Compared to white defendants, black and Latino defendants were more likely to be detained, to receive a custodial plea offer, and to be incarcerated. They were also more likely to benefit from case dismissal. Asian defendants had the most favorable outcomes across all discretionary points.

Source: Vera Institute of Justice via National Institute of Justice

Download pdf report
Download pdf research summary

New York State’s Extreme School Segregation: Inequality, Inaction and a Damaged Future

From the Foreword:

New York's record on school segregation by race and poverty is dismal now and has been for a very long time. The children who most depend on the public schools for any chance in life are concentrated in schools struggling with all the dimensions of family and neighborhood poverty and isolation. In spite of the epic stuggle for more equitable funding in New York, there is a striking relationship between segregated education and unequal school success. Although many middle class families of all races would like their children to be educated in successful diverse schools, there are few such opportunities.

From the Executive Summary:

In this report, we provide a synthesis of over 60 years of research showing that school integration is still a goal worth pursuing. From the benefits of greater academic achievement, future earnings, and even better health outcomes for minority students, and the social benefits resulting from intergroup contact for all students -- like the possible reduction in prejudice and greater interracial communication skills -- we found that "real integration" is indeed an invaluable goal worth undertaking in growing multiracial societies.

Source: The Civil Rights Project, UCLA [via eScholarship Repository]

Download full pdf [160 pgs] report: New York State’s Extreme School Segregation: Inequality, Inaction and a Damaged Future
View online at the eScholarship Repository