How do county-level ethno-racial composition and residential segregation influence pretrial decisions? Results from a multi-level, multi-decade study

The American criminal legal system is characterized by deeply entrenched racial and ethnic disparities. Given that aggregate criminal legal system outcomes are a function of decisions made by police, prosecutors, judges, and other local actors, it is reasonable to expect that localized punishment decisions are contingent on the racial and ethnic dynamics within a community. However, there is a dearth of research examining the impact of community characteristics on pretrial case-processing outcomes. The current study explores the impact of county-level minority composition and segregation on pretrial decision-making. Drawing from a sample of 31,974 felony defendants across 64 large urban counties, we examine the relationships between community racial and ethnic composition and segregation on release on recognizance, bail denial, and bail amount decisions. Our findings reveal that minority composition and segregation directly influence court case processing, and they operate in contrasting ways across different decision points. The findings underscore the importance of community characteristics above and beyond individual-level factors in determining pretrial decisions.