Back to browse
I analyzed 1.3M federal cases for racial sentencing bias

I analyzed 1.3M federal cases for racial sentencing bias

by justiceindex·Feb 16, 2026·2 points·1 comment

AI Analysis

●●●●GemBig BrainSolve My ProblemZero to One

1.3M case analysis proves systemic sentencing bias with rigorous controls; visceral real-time cost counter.

Strengths
  • Massive dataset (1.3M cases, 23 years) with proper statistical controls (R²=0.74) removes confounding variables
  • Real-time 'extra hours served' counter makes abstract disparity concrete and emotionally resonant
  • Offense-by-offense breakdown (robbery +11.48mo, drug trafficking +6.78mo) isolates where bias concentrates hardest
Weaknesses
  • Limited to federal courts; state sentencing disparities (vastly larger caseload) not covered
  • Methodology details (model specification, control variables) buried or absent from public site
Category
Target Audience

Policy researchers, criminal justice advocates, journalists, legal academics

Similar To

The Sentencing Project · Prison Policy Initiative · RAND Corp criminal justice studies

Similar Projects