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UMD-Led Research Powers Montgomery County's Prosecution Data Dashboard


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Digital representation of a judge's gavel.

A new dashboard offers interactive representation of criminal-case processing statistics in Montgomery County, MD, and was accompanied by a new report on racial justice in prosecution.

Credit: iStock

University of Maryland (UMD) researchers helped the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office roll out the state's first Prosecution Data Dashboard to clarify its handling of cases.

Accompanying the dashboard was research on racial justice in prosecution led by UMD's Brian Johnson, which determined that the criminal justice system is experienced differently by people of different races.

For example, although Black, Latino, and White defendants had similar charging patterns, arrests and prison sentences for defendants of color were disproportionate.

The UMD team found 52% of Montgomery County Circuit Court defendants are Black and 13% are Hispanic, reflecting the racial makeup of arrests.

Last month, State's Attorney John McCarthy said the dashboard can bolster community confidence in the criminal justice system.

From Maryland Today
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