TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Nov 21, 2023

A new study by the U.S. Sentencing Commission reveals that in federal court, Black and Hispanic defendants are less likely than white defendants to receive probation instead of prison. The report also highlights that the main factor affecting differences in sentencing outcomes based on demographics is whether a judge decides to impose a prison sentence. It stresses that the crucial aspect is the choice of incarceration rather than the specific length of the prison term. The findings include updated research on sentencing disparities across demographic groups, which continued over the five years subsequent to the commission's frequently referenced 2017 Demographic Differences in Sentencing Report. Read more from KnoxNews.