Annotated Bibliography: Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System

Few criminal justice issues are more troubling than the prevalence of racial disparity within the criminal justice system. At all stages of the system — beginning with arrest and proceeding through imprisonment and parole — substantial racial and ethnic disparities are found in virtually all jurisdictions in the United States. While these disparities have persisted for years, in many respects they have been exacerbated in recent years despite considerable social and economic progress in many areas of American life.

The causes and consequences of these disparities are complex and have been the subject of much academic and public attention. Research and analysis has considered the various influences of crime rates, criminal justice processing, and broader social policy as contributing factors to these outcomes. This bibliography is intended to provide an assessment of some of the leading scholarly research and analysis appearing in journals in this area. It is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to outline the varying types of inquiry and issues that are being explored in this field. We hope that it will provide both policymakers and the public with a useful resource for addressing these issues in a thoughtful manner.