NCJ Number
138008
Journal
Crime Beat Dated: (July 1992) Pages: 23-27,46-47
Date Published
1992
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Dr. William Wilbanks answers questions about his controversial book, "The Myth of a Racist Criminal Justice System," and other pertinent questions that address racism in America's criminal justice system.
Abstract
To clarify his thesis, Wilbanks explains his book argues there is no evidence of systematic or pervasive racism in America's criminal justice system but does not claim that individual examples of racism within the criminal justice system do not exist. He emphasizes that the racism that may occur is not systematic. Wilbanks suggests that an examination of conviction rates shows 75 percent of blacks in a particular State are convicted as are 75 percent of whites. In response to a question about his initial reaction to the Rodney King verdict in California, Wilbanks expresses disappointment in what he saw on the tape but suggests that one cannot conclude the jury's decision was racially motivated without hearing any of the evidence and viewing only a portion of the video.