ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the risk prediction tools that have been developed and introduced in the criminal justice system reflect social structures which are racially differentiated. It proposes a sociocognitive model that combines cognitive mechanisms of implicit racial bias and structural level factors. In this regard, it should be pointed out that the role of neighborhood influence and context is largely absent from the literature on risk and prediction. Implicit racial prejudice includes sociocognitive mechanisms that underlie different aspects of race bias. Empirical research in implicit social cognition demonstrates that people automatically and unintentionally make distinctions between certain groups of people and particular attributes. Racial profiling in the USA has been described as a 'crude risk assessment tool'. Race serves as an indicator of less visible characteristics such as a person's values, ethics, and proclivities. Diversification of police, courts, and corrections serves several important functions.
