Access to Racial Justice in Criminal Courts

Research has shown that racial prejudice and incorrect beliefs about people of color contribute to persistent and widespread unequal outcomes in the criminal justice system. The state of California has recently taken steps to redress persistent racial bias with the Racial Justice Act (RJA), which allows defendants to challenge racial and ethnic bias in the prosecution, conviction, and sentencing of criminal defendants based on race, ethnicity or national origin. Criminologist Mona Lynch will examine how the RJA operates in practice. She will conduct surveys, in-depth interviews, court observations, and case file analysis for her study.