The Impact of Colorism on Criminal Justice System Outcomes: A Scoping Study

Despite two interrelated bodies of research—racial and ethnic disparities in criminal justice system outcomes and colorism—there are few studies that examine the impact of colorism on criminal justice system outcomes. There are even fewer studies that determine the scope of this research and provide an overview of its focus. Seeking to identify and map research on the impact of colorism on criminal justice system outcomes, a scoping study was performed. Results indicate that of the 21 studies available, 8 studies found that colorism was associated with more negative criminal justice system outcomes. However, 5 studies found that this relationship was observed for some, but not all individuals examined, while 7 studies found that this relationship was influenced by factors other than colorism. One study found no relationship at all. This lack of research on the impact of colorism on criminal justice system outcomes combined with mixed findings in the present study leave a gap in our knowledgebase about the topic necessitating further research that incorporates colorism measures into criminal justice research, addresses limitations in current studies on the topic, and provides greater policy attention to the issue.