The correct answer is: True
A study of probation officers’ assessments in Washington state found they consistently portrayed Black youth differently than White youth in descriptions about the nature of criminal offending. These characterizations shaped probation officers’ assessments about the threat of future offending and sentencing recommendations and lead to more severe sanctioning for Black youth.
Source: Bridges, George and Sara Steen. 1998. “Racial Disparities in Official Assessments of Juvenile Offenders: Attributional Stereotypes as Mediating Mechanisms.” American Sociological Review 63:554–70.
