A new study out of Harvard underscores the extent of racial disparities within the Massachusetts criminal justice system, showing that Black defendants account for 17 percent of the state’s criminal caseload, and Latino defendants account for 18 percent — despite making up just 6 and 9 percent of the state population, respectively. The study also shows that people in those groups receive longer sentences on average than their white counterparts — a finding that remains when controlling for other factors, like an individual’s past criminal history. To discuss, Jim Braude was joined by Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins and retired federal judge Nancy Gertner, now a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School.
