Traci Schlesinger

My research works to expose the ways in which criminal legal policies and practice work to produce and maintain white supremacy—a system wherein white people have better access to resources and power—in the post-civil rights United States.

I have published two articles that explore the effects of colorblind law on racial and gender disparities in incarceration and three that explore the impact of racism on criminal processing. These latter articles have been cited in court cases such as Quinton Richmond, et. al. v. The District Court of Maryland, et. al. in the Court of Appeals of Maryland and in over four dozen scholarly articles and books.

In 2007 and 2008, I collaborated with the Chicago Books to Women Collective to examine connections between imprisoned women's experiences of interpersonal violence, social vulnerability, and their experiences of criminal justice control throughout their life course. The article reporting these findings, which was co-authored with my colleague Dr. Lawston who brought insights from her work with women imprisoned in California to the project, is currently under review

This year—while I sincerely miss my students—I am never-the-less grateful to be on research leave.  Using data from the State Court Processing Statistics and the National Center for State Courts, I have written three interrelated articles, all examining the effects of increasing prosecutorial power in criminal processing.  The first study examines the associations between sentencing guidelines and racial disparities in sentencing outcomes and finds that disparities are greatest in states with presumptive sentencing guidelines—where prosecutorial power is most inflated.  The second examines racial disparities in diversion from criminal courts—to drug courts, community service, and other non-criminal outcomes, a decision controlled solely be prosecutors, and finds consistent and substantial evidence of racial disparities in this processing outcome.  The final article examines the role of charge bargaining, also a prosecutor controlled decision, and finds that racial disparities in sentencing outcomes among black, white, and Latino men charged with felony drug crimes are produced in part—but not solely—through disparities in charge reductions.  In light of all three articles, I argue that the model of governing with crime control and safety as its objective and the prosecutor as its pre-eminent government actor has exacerbated inequality.  Thus, it is time to question the image of the prosecutor as ‘protector’ and the goal of ‘fighting crime’ as one that should trump the goal of achieving justice.
Address: 990 W Fullerton Ave Ste 1100
Chicago, IL 60660