Racial Disparities in Probation
Examining Officers’ Filing Practices and Judicial Revocation Decisions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22415976 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Miriam Northcutt Bohmert (0000-0002-6673-5937, Indiana University, corresponding author), Evan Marie Lowder (0000-0002-5855-2479, George Mason University), Michelle Ying (0000-0003-3949-6085, Indiana University), Mindy Thai (0000-0001-7390-8907, George Mason University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Criminal Justice Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0734-0168 • E-ISSN: 1556-3839 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/07340168261434586 |
| OpenAlex | W7148574079 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
This study examines racial disparity at two key decision-making points: a probation officer's decision to file a petition to revoke (PTR) and a judge's decision to revoke probation. We use data from 4,111 probation clients in one midwestern probation agency that has a long-standing commitment to evidence-informed practices, including reducing racial disparity. Although results do not find racial disparity in probation revocations, results show persistent disparity in officers' filing of PTRs that are most prominent at the lowest levels of supervision, between White clients and those identifying with other racial or ethnic identities. After an extensive list of key predictors and interactions with race is included, we are still unable to account for what underlies racial disparity; this suggests unseen systemic or social structural barriers may contribute to racial disparities in PTR filings, even in agencies committed to reducing disparities. Implications for probation policy and practice are discussed.
Ethnic group · Racial profiling · Racism · Revocation · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
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Interacting Race/Ethnicity and Legal Factors on Sentencing Decisions
Mass probation
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A General Framework for Comparing Predictions and Marginal Effects across Models
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Using Predictions and Marginal Effects to Compare Groups in Regression Models for Binary Outcomes
| Highly cited | No |
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