Why are federal prisoners disproportionately people of color? How does that affect discussions around reforms?

A conversation with Sakira Cook from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Nazgol Ghandnoosh from The Sentencing Project

This panel will examine the cascade of racial disparities throughout the criminal justice system and provide possible solutions for mitigating them. Why are U.S. prisoners disproportionately people of color? Racial minorities are more likely than white Americans to be arrested; once arrested, they are more likely to be convicted; and once convicted, they are more likely to face stiff sentences. In the federal system, African Americans and Hispanics comprise over 70 percent of the prisoner population. What are the best practices for reducing racial disparities in the state and federal systems? What specific reforms are needed in policing, prosecutorial practices, and sentencing? How do questions of race affect discussions around reform?