BJS Releases Federal Sentencing Disparity: 2005-2012

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released Federal Sentencing Disparity: 2005–2012, which examines patterns of federal sentencing disparity among white and black offenders, by sentence received, and looks at judicial variation in sentencing since Booker v. United States. This report summarizes U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, explains the methodology, discusses how approaches of other researchers to the study of sentencing practices differ from this approach, and defines disparity as used in this study.

This working paper was prepared by Abt Associates for BJS in response to a request by the Department of Justice's Racial Disparities Working Group to design a study of federal sentencing disparity. Data are from BJS's Federal Justice Statistics Program, which annually collects federal criminal justice processing data from various federal agencies, and the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

TITLE: Federal Sentencing Disparity: 2005–2012 (NCJ 248768)

AUTHORS: William Rhodes, Ryan Ling, Jeremy Luallen, and Christina Dyous

WHERE: http://www.bjs.gov

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at http://www.ojp.gov.

SOURCE Bureau of Justice Statistics