University Study Finds That Light-Skinned Black Women Receive Lesser Sentences and Spend Less Time in Jail Than Dark-Skinned Black Women

A new study by researchers at Villanova University in Pennsylvania has found black women with lighter skin receive shorter sentences and spend less time in jail than black women with darker skin. The researchers examined the cases of 12,158 African-American women who spent time in prison from 1995 to 2009. When controlling factors such as previous criminal record and the type of crime committed, the data showed that women with lighter skin received, on average, 12 percent lower sentences and spent 11 percent less time in jail.

The research was published in Social Science Journal. Readers interested in the entire article can download it here.

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