 How Do the Laws of Probability Constrain Legislative and Judicial Efforts to Stop Racial Profiling?American Law and Economics Review, 2003, vol. 5, issue 2, 412-432 Abstract: Faced with pending legislation and litigation, numerous jurisdictions have begun programs to monitor a range of traffic stop outcomes, focusing on variation by race or ethnicity. Existing programs, however, ignore the unequal outcomes that motivate opposition to racial profiling. Statistical relationships limit the ability of public policy to equalize the various outcomes, even if officers do not engage in racial profiling to "any extent or degree." This article demonstrates relationships among five outcomes that are or should be considered when policy on racial profiling is formulated: search rates, find rates, thoroughness of search, rates of detention of the innocent, and rates of apprehension of the guilty. Once decisions are made as to how to balance desires for equality of each of these outcomes, problems remain that are common to statistical assessments of pattern- or practice-of-discrimination claims. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press. Date: 2003 There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it. Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:amlawe:v:5:y:2003:i:2:p:412-432 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article American Law and Economics Review is currently edited by J.J. Prescott and Albert Choi More articles in American Law and Economics Review from American Law and Economics Association Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK. |
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