Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Award
Spring 4-16-2025
Abstract
The United States, with just 5% of the world’s population, houses nearly a quarter of the world’s prisoners. Moreover, the racial composition of the United States prison population is 56.8% White, 38.0% Black, 2.9% Native American, and 1.5% Asian (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2023). This highlights the disproportionate presence of minority offenders in the prison system, prompting concerns about racial disparities in sentencing. While research on sentencing is robust, much of the research relies on outdated data sources. This study adopts a contemporary approach by utilizing current data to examine whether the race of an offender affects two essential sentencing outcomes: (1) the likelihood of incarceration (i.e., the decision between imprisonment and non-imprisonment) and (2) the length of the sentence. This study leverages data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) for the year 2022, analyzing 64,142 offender cases. Important independent variables consist of offender characteristics (e.g., race, sex, age, level of education, citizenship status) and crime characteristics (e.g., weapon use, criminal history, offense type, and plea agreement). The dependent variables measured whether the defendant was given a prison sentence, and if so, the length of incarceration in months. The research hypotheses predict that non-White offenders will receive both harsher and longer sentences than similarly situated White offenders. Results indicate that Hispanic offenders were more likely to receive a sentence of incarceration than similarly situated White offenders. In addition, the findings suggest that Black offenders received longer sentences compared to either White or Hispanic offenders. Through a focal concerns theoretical framework, the study highlights the continued influence of structural racial inequalities in sentencing. By recognizing these inequalities, this research contributes to policy reforms related to reducing racial bias in sentencing processes and enhancing equity in the U.S. criminal justice system.
Advisor
James Alex Purdon
Recommended Citation
Krivokapic, Tijana, "The Impact of Race on Sentencing Outcomes in the United States" (2025). Honors Theses. 264.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/honorstheses/264
