Researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio found that Black and Hispanic Americans charged in federal sex abuse cases are receiving disproportionately harsher sentences
In a recent study published in the journal Sexual Abuse, the researchers explored what they said was a trend in more severe punishment over the past decade since Congress has enacted several pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the punishment in federal sex offender and child pornography cases.
The researchers University of Texas at San Antonio criminology and criminal justice professors Richard Hartley and Alexander Testa, and alumnus Erika Martinez, noted that convictions in federal courts have increased over the last two decades.
Most studies of federal sentencing have focused on “understanding what influences judicial decisions and whether racial/ethnic disparities in federal sentencing practices exist, regardless of the type of crime charged,” Hartley explained in an interview with the university journal, UTSA Today.
“Little research, however, has examined the determinants of sentencing outcomes for those convicted of federal sex offenses.”
It’s been known to authorities that the majority of registrants are black for years.
No different in the DoD either when it comes to investigating and prosecuting the same even though convictions are not more than white members. The effect is still the same as a conviction afterwards with stigma, etc. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/06/16/frustrated-advocates-say-racial-biases-within-military-justice-system-remain-despite-repeated-alarms/
Any time discrimination is documented it should work in favor of those being discriminated. In a just world where politics, money and power weren’t the motivating forces we would see the NAACP, The Black Caucus, BLM, legions of law firms, judges, and DA’s lining up and filing suits to get this oppressive, abusive, thoroughly unconstitutional registry shut down. But alas, integrity and ethics do not appear to be the driving force in America today so we will have to see if anyone will risk their political clout by standing up for real justice.
It’s just coming to light that the Wisconsin Supreme Court has been sitting on a study showing racial bias in sentencing in WI for quite some time. Here’s a draft version of the study called, “Race and Prison Sentencing in Wisconsin”.
https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20478391-race-prison-sentence-felony-report-draft_2020_02_05
Reduced sentencing and early release programs for those of color, none of it means a damn thing when those who have completed their sentences continue to be treated as “lepers” in the eyes of the law and in society. The law and society need to change their terminology from the everyone painted with the same brushstroke
“sex offender” to registered person, or person “required to register” or better yet, get rid of the registry altogether. Since every group on earth wants us to use the “politically correct” term for their particular group, then registrants DESERVE and need to insist on the same “politically correct” terms.
Reduced sentences and early release mean nothing when registrants can’t find housing, jobs or begin relationships because the world has decided they are all “unworthy offenders of sexual offenses.” It’s time for the world to wake up, and it all starts with the laws.