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The Use of Data to Identify Racial and Ethnic Disparities

The Use of Data to Identify Racial and Ethnic Disparities. Jack McDevitt Associate Dean and Director Institute on Race and Justice Northeastern University. Background. Worked on the following areas of racial disparity Capital Punishment Sentencing Use of mandatory Sentences

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The Use of Data to Identify Racial and Ethnic Disparities

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  1. The Use of Data to Identify Racial and Ethnic Disparities Jack McDevitt Associate Dean and Director Institute on Race and Justice Northeastern University

  2. Background • Worked on the following areas of racial disparity • Capital Punishment • Sentencing • Use of mandatory Sentences • Police Decision to Arrest • Police Misconduct (including use of Force) • Hate Crime • Racial Profiling • Anti-gang enforcement programs

  3. Challenges to Making a Racial or Ethnic Disparity Challenge • Data is not available • Court is looking for data that exactly matches the situation of the defendant • Disparity does not always equal discrimination • How Much Disparity is Too Much? • Much Disparity is Cumulative • The “Baseline” Question

  4. Data Sources • Data is generally available for the individuals who are subject to formal decisions • Sentencing • Arrest • Data is less often available for those who are eligible but not subject to formal sanctions • Data is seldom available about how the decision was made • School zone ……“good kids and bad kids”

  5. Where can you get the data? • All agencies collect data on “what they do” generally as part of the an MIS system • Most Agencies can not manipulate the data within their system • Partner with a local academic • Make a request that is supported by “academic research”

  6. Baseline Question • In racial profiling If we note that African American drivers are 27% of those who are stopped to what should we compare it • Census population data • Adjusted census data • Estimated driving population • Observed driving population • Internal Benchmarking • Similarly Situated Officers

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