Section Article

Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice: Exploring Bias in Sentencing and Incarceration
Author(s): Dinesh Prajapati

Abstract
Racial disparities in criminal justice systems persist as a significant global concern reflecting entrenched structural inequalities implicit biases and socio-economic factors that disproportionately impact minority populations. This study explores the mechanisms through which racial bias operates within legal systems particularly in sentencing and incarceration examining how institutional policies judicial discretion and societal norms contribute to unequal treatment. The research draws upon empirical data from multiple jurisdictions including the United States United Kingdom Canada and selected developing countries to provide a comparative perspective on racial disparities in legal outcomes. By integrating quantitative analyses of sentencing patterns incarceration rates and recidivism statistics with qualitative insights from case studies interviews and ethnographic accounts the study highlights both overt and subtle forms of bias. Evidence indicates that minority populations are consistently subject to harsher sentences higher likelihood of imprisonment and differential treatment at various stages of the criminal justice process even when controlling for the type and severity of offenses. Contributing factors include discriminatory policing practices unequal access to legal representation socio-economic disadvantage and implicit bias among legal actors. The study further examines the consequences of these disparities which extend beyond individual legal outcomes to affect social mobility community trust in legal institutions and intergenerational cycles of disadvantage. Policy interventions such as sentencing reforms implicit bias training for judicial personnel and community-based alternatives to incarceration are analyzed to assess their effectiveness in mitigating racial disparities. The research underscores the importance of context-specific evidence-based policy measures and institutional reforms aimed at achieving equity and fairness within criminal justice systems. By synthesizing contemporary scholarship and official data from 2021 onwards this study provides a comprehensive understanding of racial bias in sentencing and incarceration offering actionable recommendations for policymakers legal practitioners and civil society organizations committed to promoting justice and reducing systemic inequalities.