1. How are minority women affected by sentencing guidelines? Are they more likely to receive a harsher sentence than non-minority women? Why or why not?
2. Do women judges show no significant leniency toward subjects of their own gender groups? Why or why not?
3. What differences do women judges and judges of color bring to the bench?
Men of particular color are more likely to receive longer prison sentences than their counterparts of other color.
4. Does evidence of racial disparity in sentencing really exist?
5. Are racial disparities in sentencing always the result of racial discrimination? Why or why not?
6. Do sentencing guidelines increase racial disparity in sentencing?
7. Should judges be allowed to consider special circumstances such as marital status, employment status and education when sentencing defendants?
8. Is the cocaine sentencing law discriminatory? If so what type of discrimination is this? If not, be able to support your answer with examples and references to your readings.
9. To what degree does the moral panic theory explain the development of cocaine sentencing laws? Explain your answer.