From Racialized Punishment to Care and Accountability

Abstract This chapter adopts a historically informed institution of racial domination framework to interpret trends in racial disparities in punishment, drawing from recent empirical and theoretical developments, primarily in history and sociology. In doing so, the chapter critically engages often unstated assumptions in this literature, offers different interpretations of what the data say and what trends mean, and suggests what avenues of research remain open. It ends with suggested alternative pathways to safety and justice for all communities, amplifying the need for institutions and infrastructures of care and accountability.