May 7, 2025 - "Reducing Community Violence to Close the Racial Gap in U.S. Imprisonment," with Dr. Thaddeus Johnson (Georgia State, Criminal Justice)

Conversations on Race and Policing - California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB)

Join us in conversation with Georgia State's Dr. Thaddeus Johnson, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

Reducing Community Violence to Close the Racial Gap in U.S. Imprisonment

Drawing on a comprehensive analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice (covering 2000–2020), this session will offer an in-depth examination of racial disparities in imprisonment at both the national and California State levels. With the substantial narrowing of the racial gap in drug-related incarceration between Black and white Americans, the most pronounced—and persistent—racial disparity now exists among people incarcerated for violent felony offenses. These offenses also account for a disproportionately large share of prison admissions. Currently, about two-thirds of the U.S. prison population, and over half of those incarcerated in California State prisons, are serving sentences for violent crimes.

Dr. Johnson will critically evaluate the limitations of recent sentencing reforms and highlight their inadequate attention to violent offenses. Key findings suggest that the decisions of prosecutors and judges have increasingly helped reduce racial differences in prison admissions. However, addressing the violent crime-racial disparity link requires looking beyond courts and prisons, as these institutions primarily manage the outcomes of deeper societal conditions and interactions. Therefore, the discussion will transition toward actionable, evidence-based strategies for reducing community violence. These include effective law enforcement and community-informed interventions, targeted deterrence initiatives, and advanced technological approaches. Participants will leave the session equipped with practical insights for addressing violent crime, fostering equity, and shaping policies that meaningfully advance public safety and justice goals.

One report Dr. Johnson will examine, and may be worthwhile to preview, is this:

• JUSTICE SYSTEM DISPARITIES: STATE-SPECIFIC IMPRISONMENT TRENDS, California State Brief (APRIL 2024) Link

Dr. Thaddeus L. Johnson, a former ranking law enforcement official in Memphis, Tenn., is a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice and an assistant professor at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. His current research focuses on police policy and innovations, urban violence, crime control and racially disparate justice outcomes. He is the author or co-author of numerous articles and reports and a book entitled "Deviance Among Physicians: Fraud, Violence and the Power to Prescribe." In addition to having his research featured in national media outlets, he has written on police reform issues for the popular press and appeared on numerous broadcast radio and TV news programs in the U.S. and Europe.

Series organizers (alphabetical) are Amber Broaden (CSUSB and CSU Dominguez Hills, Psychology), Stan Futch (President, Westside Action Group), Michael German (Brennan Center for Justice), Robie Madrigal (Pfau Library), Dr. Jeremy Murray (CSUSB History), Matt Patino (Crafton Hills College Adjunct Faculty), Dr. Mary Texeira (CSUSB Sociology). Click here to view previous panels in the Conversations on Race and Policing series (link).