Racial Justice
One in five Black men born in 2001 is likely to experience imprisonment within their lifetime.
The Sentencing Project’s four-part “One in Five” series examines racial inequities in America’s criminal legal system, as well as highlights promising reforms.
Celebrating Black August
In our latest Race and Justice News, learn about recent state policy changes around sentencing and voting rights, Trump’s roll back of police oversight, storytelling that spotlights the experiences of people in prison, and more.
Key Publications
Youth Incarceration
In an era of declining youth incarceration, Black, Latino and American Indian youth are still overwhelmingly more likely to be held in custody than their white peers.
Black Disparities in Youth Incarceration
Black youth are 5.6 times as likely to be incarcerated than white youth – and the Black/white racial disparities in youth incarceration grew more than 10% in 23 states.
If you want people to change and you want public safety to be paramount, we have to change the way we deal with people who are incarcerated or previously incarcerated and give them opportunities to be successful.
The Eugenic Origins of Three Strikes Laws
This webinar explores the relationship between the American eugenics movement and “habitual offender” laws, the barriers these laws continue to impose, their disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities, and how attorneys have utilized the truth of the eugenics movement to continue advocating for their client’s rights to lesser sentences and freedom.
5X
Black Americans are incarcerated at five times the rate of whites. American Indians are incarcerated at 4.2 times the rate of whites and Latino people are 2.4 times as likely to be incarcerated as non-Latino whites.
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2024 Marc Mauer Racial Justice Award Ceremony
The Sentencing Project hosted the third Marc Mauer Racial Justice Award event in 2024, where justice reform champions, Sam Lewis and Shaka Senghor, were honored.
Established in 2020 by The Sentencing Project Board of Directors, and named for the organization’s longtime leader and national expert on sentencing policy, race and the criminal justice system, the Marc Mauer Racial Justice Award is bestowed on individuals who significantly advance understanding and engagement on issues of race and mass incarceration. The awardee also nominates an individual or organization of their choice to receive special recognition.
