The correct answer is: 62% greater
Among felony drug offenders, the odds that a black defendant will be sentenced to prison are 62% greater than a similarly situated white defendant. Race shapes confinement sentence outcomes in Washington state. White defendants are more likely than similarly situated defendants of color to receive sentences that fall below the standard range or that allow treatment as an alternative to prison. Among felony drug offenders, the odds that a black defendant will be sentenced to prison are 62% greater than among similarly situated white defendants. These studies clearly indicate that race and ethnicity matter for confinement sentencing outcomes.
Source: “Preliminary Report on Race and Washington‘s Criminal Justice System,” The Task Force on Race and the Criminal Justice System, 2011.
