---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Blacks were more likely to be sentenced…"
description: "\"Blacks were more likely to be sentenced to prison following a conviction, but that result reflected their past crimes and the gravity of their current ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/heather-mac-donald-6566_crime_blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced_2629738.jpg"
---

#  Blacks were more likely to be sentenced to prison…

![“Blacks were more likely to be sentenced to prison following a conviction, but that result reflected their past crimes and the gravity of their current offense.” quote by Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/heather-mac-donald-6566_crime_blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced_2629738.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/heather-mac-donald-6566_crime_blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced_2629738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/heather-mac-donald-6566_crime_blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced_2629738.jpg)

> “Blacks were more likely to be sentenced to prison following a conviction, but that result reflected their past crimes and the gravity of their current offense.”

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Statistical disparities in sentencing reflect both prior offenses and current crime severity, but may also indicate systemic bias.

**In simple terms:** Sentencing differences stem from past and present factors, yet bias may exist.

Key Takeaway

Examine data critically for hidden inequities.

Themes

justice racial disparity law enforcement

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

sociopolitical critical

When to use this quote

- policy reform
- legal analysis
- public debate
- academic research

Key Concepts

criminology statistics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we separate bias from legitimate risk assessment?
- What reforms could reduce unfair sentencing?

A Different Perspective

Data can be interpreted to support conflicting narratives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Blacks Likely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blacks-likely-2178725/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Current](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/current/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Following Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-conviction-2178728/) [Incarceration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incarceration/) [Likely Sentenced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likely-sentenced-2178726/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Crimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-crimes-2178729/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Result](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/result/) [Sentenced Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentenced-prison-2178727/)

## Related quotes

> [Faith is the result of the act of the will, following upon a conviction that to believe is a duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/faith-is-the-result-of-the-act-of-the-will-following-upon-a/)

[John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/)

> [“If following my conviction to save my people against tyranny then i would say.. i have made the most rightful sin in my entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darwin-araman-ergina/if-following-my-conviction-to-save-my-people-against-tyranny-then-i/)

[darwin araman ergina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darwin-araman-ergina/)

> [“The impact of the new caste system is most tragically felt among the young. In Chicago (as in other cities across the United States),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-impact-of-the-new-caste-system-is-most-tragically-felt-among-the/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [The Bureau of Justice reports that one in three black male babies born this century will go to jail or prison - that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/the-bureau-of-justice-reports-that-one-in-three-black-male-babies/)

[Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/)

> [Michelle Alexander's brave and bold new book paints a haunting picture in which dreary felon garb, post-prison joblessness, and loss of voting rights now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lani-guinier/michelle-alexander-s-brave-and-bold-new-book-paints-a-haunting/)

[Lani Guinier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lani-guinier/)

> [It appears that the murder rate inside prisons is ten times higher than that outside prisons. It must be due to all those Kalashnikov…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/it-appears-that-the-murder-rate-inside-prisons-is-ten-times-higher/)

[Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/)

> [If you take into account prisoners, a large majority of African American men in some urban areas, like Chicago, have been labeled felons for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-you-take-into-account-prisoners-a-large-majority-of-african/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [“The real purpose of the opposition is to minimize the amount of money the ruling party will have stolen from the people at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/the-real-purpose-of-the-opposition-is-to-minimize-the-amount-of-money/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [The mass incarceration of poor people of color, particularly black men, has emerged as a new caste system, one specifically designed to address the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-mass-incarceration-of-poor-people-of-color-particularly-black-men/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [If we continue to tell ourselves the popular myths about racial progress or, worse yet, if we say to ourselves that the problem of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-we-continue-to-tell-ourselves-the-popular-myths-about-racial/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [“Looks sure can be deceiving: not every ‘ugly’ person is a ‘bad’ person (or is guilty of whatever it is that they are accused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/looks-sure-can-be-deceiving-not-every-ugly-person-is-a-bad-person-or/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Our criminal justice system has swallowed up too many people I love. I am proud to join the ACLU in the fight to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/our-criminal-justice-system-has-swallowed-up-too-many-people-i-love-i/)

[Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/)

> [You know and we have about 60 to 70 percent black men in prison today and it's because of the negativity they have in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/you-know-and-we-have-about-60-to-70-percent-black-men-in-prison-today/)

[Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/)

> [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/)

[Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/)

## More by Heather Mac Donald

> [If, by deferring or maybe even skipping college entirely, students were foregoing their one hope for immersion in Western civilization, there would indeed be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/if-by-deferring-or-maybe-even-skipping-college-entirely-students-were/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [Race and gender quotas, whether in publishing, the media, or scientific research labs, are becoming more extreme and more ineluctable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/race-and-gender-quotas-whether-in-publishing-the-media-or-scientific/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [Opponents of New York City's proactive style of policing struggle mightily to downplay its most obvious benefit: the largest crime drop on record, concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/opponents-of-new-york-city-s-proactive-style-of-policing-struggle/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [Without question, women can act with bravery, foresight, and tactical intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/without-question-women-can-act-with-bravery-foresight-and-tactical/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [Police departments are under enormous political pressure to hire based on race, despite existing efforts to recruit minorities, on the theory that doing so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/police-departments-are-under-enormous-political-pressure-to-hire/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [It is not the case that I can predict your views knowing that you are a white male. I cannot predict your views if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/it-is-not-the-case-that-i-can-predict-your-views-knowing-that-you-are/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [Received left-wing wisdom holds that the police cannot lower crime, only massive welfare spending and the redistribution of wealth can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/received-left-wing-wisdom-holds-that-the-police-cannot-lower-crime/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [Hispanics' welfare consumption - and their affinity for the Democratic message - will decline over time as they climb the economic ladder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/hispanics-welfare-consumption-and-their-affinity-for-the-democratic/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [Mandatory stints in the private economy before college enrollment could do wonders for study skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/mandatory-stints-in-the-private-economy-before-college-enrollment/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [A core plank of left-wing academic thought is that gender and race are 'socially constructed.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/a-core-plank-of-left-wing-academic-thought-is-that-gender-and-race/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [For decades, liberal criminologists have tried to corroborate the Left's cherished belief that the criminal-justice system responds to similarly situated whites and blacks unequally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/for-decades-liberal-criminologists-have-tried-to-corroborate-the-left/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [The more frequently officers encounter violent suspects from any given racial group, the greater the chance that members of that racial group will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/the-more-frequently-officers-encounter-violent-suspects-from-any/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [A strong police presence keeps individuals involved in 'street life' from triggering the most severe penalties of the law by providing a surrogate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/a-strong-police-presence-keeps-individuals-involved-in-street-life/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [A federal government with enough money to buy iPads for local gym teachers is not a federal government that has been cut to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/a-federal-government-with-enough-money-to-buy-ipads-for-local-gym/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

> [I don't understand how people of intelligence can reconcile what I see as constant proof of divine indifference to human outcomes with a reverence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/i-don-t-understand-how-people-of-intelligence-can-reconcile-what-i/)

[Heather Mac Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

[Explore all 98 Heather Mac Donald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/)

## More Crime quotes

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/)

[Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/)

[Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/)

> [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/)

[Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/)

> [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/)

[Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/)

> [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/)

[Avis Bohlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avis-bohlen/)

[Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Blacks were more likely to be sentenced to prison following a conviction, but that result reflected their past crimes and the gravity of their current offense.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Heather Mac Donald"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced-to-prison-following-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crime"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced-to-prison-following-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/heather-mac-donald-6566_crime_blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced_2629738.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/heather-mac-donald-6566_crime_blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced_2629738.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/heather-mac-donald-6566_crime_blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced_2629738.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Blacks were more likely to be sentenced to prison following a conviction, but that result reflected their…” — Heather Mac Donald",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Heather Mac Donald",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mac-donald/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Blacks were more likely to be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced-to-prison-following-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mac-donald/blacks-were-more-likely-to-be-sentenced-to-prison-following-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
