Oregon Law Perspectives June 8th, 2023

The Potential of Post Hoc Interventions to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Criminal Sentencing
Presenters: Erik Girvan and Martin Jönsson (Lund)
The results of decades of research has shown that discriminatory decisions can impact criminal sentencing. Dr. Erik Girvan, an Oregon Law professor with a background in social psychology, recently completed an empirical study of how biased perceptions of ethnicity may lead to sentencing disparities in Oregon courts. How can we use this data to prevent the perpetuation of sentencing disparities? One possibility is through use of “post hoc interventions.” Join us for a discussion with Professor Erik Girvan and his collaborator, Dr. Martin Jönsson, who are working together as part of an international, multidisciplinary research team to develop post hoc interventions and investigate their potential to mitigate the effects of biased decision in criminal sentencing and other contexts.