“The System is “F'd”: Colorism and Perceptions of Aspiring Criminal Justice Practitioners.

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“The System is 'F'D”: Colorism and Perceptions of Aspiring Criminal Justice Practitioners.

Targeted Audience:

• Law Enforcement
• Government
• Scholars
• Community Members

Description goals:

Dr. Carter will discuss research from her Shades of Justice project, an innovative study that examines the relationship between colorism and justice-related issues.

Across the United States, perceptions of the Criminal Justice System(CJS) are mixed. For example, scholarship consistently finds white individuals often have more positive views of the CJS than their Black and Brown counterparts. This matters because perceptions of the CJS influences policy and practice. Arguably, perceptions of students who aspire to be CJ practitioners are even more critical as their beliefs will shape the future of the system.

Using an original mixed methods data set entitled Shades of Justice; this talk explores student perceptions of the criminal justice system while acknowledging the impact of race, ethnicity, and skin tone. Findings suggest students largely perceive the system as flawed - if not irrevocably broken. Additionally, results show skin tone and race impact CJS perceptions – in different ways.  We will also discuss the implications of DEI in the CJ system in light of these findings.

About our presenter

TaLisa J. Carter, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University in Washington, D.C., an Affiliated Scholar at Urban Institute, a non-residence fellow with the Brookings Institute, and an Affiliate with the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence! at George Mason University. Previously, she worked as a Deputy Corrections Officer in Savannah, GA. Ongoing research examines theoretical explanations of accountability in the Criminal Justice System, the role of identity in criminal justice professions, and the impact of colorism on criminal justice outcomes. Both the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health funded her work.