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Findings from previous studies suggest that Blacks and Hispanics are likely to receive more punitive sentences than Whites, but overall results are far from conclusive and few examinations contain analyses of Black versus Hispanic differences. In the current study, sentencing outcomes were examined for a random sample of felony drug offenders convicted during calendar year 2000 in a large urban jurisdiction in North Carolina. The analysis focused on Black—White, Hispanic—White, and Hispanic—Black differences. White offenders received less severe punishments than either Blacks or Hispanics; Hispanic offenders were particularly disadvantaged because they received harsher punishments relative to both Blacks and Whites.

The Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) is a risk/needs assessment tool that is widely used in correctional settings. Extant research has demonstrated the predictive validity of the LSI-R for individuals under correctional supervision. yet, few researchers have assessed whether the LSI-R and its various subcomponents predict prison misconduct similarly for White versus non-White inmates. Using data collected from male inmates confined in prisons across a Midwestern state, we examined the predictive validity of the LSI-R and its 10 subcomponents for White, Black, and Hispanic inmates. We found that the LSI-R predicted the prevalence of misconduct for inmates of varying races/ethnicities. However, we reached a different conclusion when we examined the incidence of misconduct; the LSI-R composite score and subcomponent scores showed greater predictive utility for White inmates than for non-White inmates. Our findings add to a growing body of research that suggests that the predictive validity of the LSI-R differs by offender race/ethnicity. We discuss the policy implications of our findings and offer recommendations for future research.

Critical race feminists posit that perceptions of White and minority females differ, which suggests that media representations will vary among female crime victims. To explore this proposition, we examined front-page crime stories from four different U.S. newspapers using Altheide’s approach to qualitative document analysis. We found that stories about White female victims received more repeated coverage and were more likely to contain sympathetic narratives than stories about Latina/Black female victims. In contrast, Latina/Black female victims were more likely to be portrayed as risk-takers and “bad” women, and their victimization was normalized through descriptions of their unsafe environments.

Research on the federal sentencing process has demonstrated that, the sentencing guidelines notwithstanding, outcomes are affected by legally irrelevant offender characteristics. Using data on offenders convicted of drug offenses in three U.S. district courts, we build on and extend this research. We examine the main and interactive effects of offender race/ethnicity and gender on the likelihood of receiving a downward departure for providing substantial assistance and on the magnitude of the sentence discount given to offenders who receive these departures. Our findings indicate the Black and Hispanic male offenders are treated more harshly than all other offenders. Our findings also indicate that there are no differences between female offenders of any race/ethnicity and White male offenders or between the three groups of female offenders. We suggest that prosecutors and judges use the discretion inherent in the substantial assistance departure to circumvent the guidelines and to fashion more appropriate sentences for sympathetic and salvageable offenders.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and evaluate how prison administrators in England and Wales responded to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the United Kingdom (UK) in late January 2020. In the days that followed, the number of positive cases grew exponentially; by the end of March thousands of new cases were detected daily and several hundred people had died of COVID-19. In response to the pandemic crisis, Prime Minster Boris Johnson mandated a national lockdown on March 23 and prison administrators were told to immediately begin implementing Exceptional Regime Management Plans. These Plans included (1) strategies to minimize the risk of transmission of the virus within prisons, (2) measures to reduce the potential for the virus to enter prisons, and (3) methods to manage prison populations in order to contain the virus. Overall, 6 months into the coronavirus crisis, the adopted measures appear to have helped curtail the spread of the virus within prisons, but at a great cost to the inmates and their families. KEYWORDS COVID-19; prisons; mitigation of COVID-19 in prisons; prison lockdown; infectious diseases in prisons; prison management; pandemic; alternatives to incarceration; early release mechanisms; prison reform

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