Perceptions of Black and White individuals sentenced for violent and nonviolent crimes

Abstract The US judicial system is rife with racial discrimination against Black individuals at every stage. current study aimed to examine perceptions of accused crimes and sentencing decisions. Furthermore, we whether implicit explicit bias would affect these perceptions. White university students ( n = 157) noncollege adults 224) viewed fictitious electronic case records for target convicted a nonviolent drug crime or violent assault crime. They rated the targets on positive negative traits completed measures bias. Findings indicated that student participants more negatively less positively than across both crimes. nonuniversity sample On ratings deservingness incarceration fairness sanction, had similar targets. in our studies who reported greater also evaluated positively, negatively, as violent, deserving incarceration. More was significantly associated evaluations endorsement deserved These findings have implications criminal justice reform.