Study: 95 percent of elected prosecutors are white

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Ninety-five percent of the 2,437 elected state and local prosecutors in the United States in 2014 were white, a study by the Women Donors Network has discovered. And, while only 31 percent of the U.S. population are white males, 79 percent of elected prosecutors were men — a mere 16 percent were women, and just 1 percent were minority women.

The New York Times, which reported on the study, adds that in the wake of the national debates over racism and racial imbalances in the criminal justice system, "the racial makeup of police forces across the country has been carefully documented" while "the diversity of prosecutors, who many law enforcement experts say exercise more influence over the legal system, has received little scrutiny." Indeed, it is in the prosecutor's hands to decide whether to bring criminal charges, or if and for how long to negotiate a prison sentence.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.