In this secondary analysis, the research team used publicly available federal sentencing data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) to measure racial disparities for multiple race groups and stages of sentencing across time (fiscal years 1999-2021). They sought to answer the following research questions:
- Do racial disparities vary across 3 stages of federal sentencing and over time? If so, how?
- During which years do the measured racial disparities have a statistically significant decrease?
- Which policies likely impacted these decreases the most? What are the commonalities between them?
To answer the research questions, the research team measured racial disparities between matched cases across 3 stages of federal sentencing, represented by two elements each; identified at which points in time the disparities changed significantly using time series plots and structured break analyses; and used this information to systematically review federal policies to identify which might have contributed to significant decreases in racial disparities.
