Racial disparities in imprisonment double for men versus women

Evidence

One not so obvious implication of TGP as applied to the CJS is that the severity of negative sanctions imposed by the CJS will also tend to be an interactive function of one’s gender and one’s arbitrary-set membership. Further, the Seventh Law-of-Law predicts that the specific nature of this interaction will be such that subordinate males will be the disproportionate victims of arbitrary-set discrimination within the CJS and to a substantially greater degree than will subordinate females. For example, while one might or might not find evidence of racial discrimination within the CJS against Black women, one should expect to see rather strong evidence of racial discrimination within the CJS against Black men. … As can be seen in figure 1.1, the overall rate of imprisonment was lower for dominants (i.e., Whites) than for either of the two subordinate groups (i.e., Hispanics or Blacks). Consistent with the TGP is the fact that the effect of race (an arbitrary-set category) on imprisonment is strongly conditioned by one’s gender. Comparing the imprisonment rates for Hispanic versus White defendants, we see that the imprisonment rate for Hispanic women was only 38 percent higher than for White women. In contrast, among men, Hispanics are imprisoned at more than four times the rate for Whites. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 99 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Among women, the Black/White imprisonment ratio was only 3.13, while being an astounding 11.85 for Black men compared to White men. In other words, within the CJS, race is a substantially more consequential social identity among men than it is among women. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 104 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

As can be seen in figure 1.1, the overall rate of imprisonment was lower for dominants (i.e., Whites) than for either of the two subordinate groups (i.e., Hispanics or Blacks). Consistent with the TGP is the fact that the effect of race (an arbitrary-set category) on imprisonment is strongly conditioned by one’s gender. Comparing the imprisonment rates for Hispanic versus White defendants, we see that the imprisonment rate for Hispanic women was only 38 percent higher than for White women. In contrast, among men, Hispanics are imprisoned at more than four times the rate for Whites. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 101 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: People of color form a third of the population but three-quarters of US prisoners.; Racial discrimination in imprisonment is far stronger against men than women — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 99; Race gap in imprisonment is four times larger for men than women — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 101 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Racial discrimination in imprisonment is far stronger against men than women #corroborates (0.97) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 99
• Race shapes imprisonment far more for men than for women. #corroborates (0.96) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 104
• Race gap in imprisonment is four times larger for men than women #expands (0.95) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 101
• The honour-crime versus crime-of-passion distinction encodes a racial hierarchy as gender progress #complicates (0.72) — Sherene Razack, Casting Out, 298