Race and Sentencing

This major study examines whether race is a factor influencing the sentences imposed on men and women in the Crown Courts in England. Based on a large sample of cases, it reveals a complex and disturbing pattern of racial differences in the resort to custody, the lengths of sentences, and the choice of alternative punishments. The findings will provide a springboard for considering how to eliminate the racial factor from sentencing practices. This book should be of interest to lawyers and criminologists interested in criminal justice, in particular the sentencing of offenders; and to laypersons interested in race relations, criminal justice and the fairness of the British system of justice.