.png)
The United States criminal justice system is marred by the historical and contemporary dehumanization of Black individuals via explicit and implicit racial biases and stereotypes. As such, racial prejudice has persisted across all actors and all levels of the system, as research indicates that racial bias and stereotypicality frequently influence perception, behavior, and judgment (Eberhardt et al., 2006; Goff et al., 2008; Hehman et al., 2017; Kovera, 2019; Sommers & Ellsworth, 2001; Whiteacre, 2006). The criminal justice system’s dehumanization of Black individuals can best be understood through the psychological examination of racial bias and stereotypicality as they pertain to law enforcement, the court system, and the corrections system. In reviewing relevant literature, future research directions and best practices are recommended to substantially mitigate the occurrence of racial prejudice.
This research paper was presented as the second component of my defense for my Master of Science in Forensic Psychology at Arizona State University.