Racial disparities are entrenched in many stages of the United States’ criminal legal system; from arrests and charges, to convictions and sentencing. Plea bargaining is no exception. Racial discrimination taints the process from discriminatory policing, to the disparate impact of aggravating factors and mandatory minimums.
This info sheet explores how plea bargaining fuels racial injustice and examines how plea bargaining reform would contribute to reforming racial injustice.
As part of our campaign to reduce the over-reliance on plea bargaining in the US, we have also produced a series of films, the last of which addresses plea bargaining and racial injustice. Watch it here.
