Justice is allegedly blind, but it is absolutely, unequivocally, in no way fair.
If anything, Lady Justice has been poked in the eye, with a spoon and is turning her one blind eye to the atrocities happening in the American legal system so she can purposely miss them.
Across the country, data consistently shows that people of color and those without financial means receive harsher sentences than their white and wealthier counterparts for the same crimes. But this systemic inequality is no longer hiding behind courtroom walls; because everyday people are watching, documenting, and sharing the truth.
Court watching and data activism are quickly becoming two of the most powerful tools in the fight for a more equitable justice system. Together, they pull back the curtain on biased sentencing patterns and challenge the myth of neutrality in our courts.
What the Data Reveals
Study after study confirms what communities of color have long known: the scales of justice are rigged.
- A U.S. Sentencing Commission report found that Black men receive sentences that are, on average, 19.1% longer than those for white men convicted of similar crimes.
- Research by the Prison Policy Initiative shows how poverty increases incarceration risk at every stage; from arrest to pretrial detention to sentencing.
In many jurisdictions, public defenders are underfunded while prosecutors are over-resourced due to lop-sided priorities, leaving impoverished defendants at a steep disadvantage.
But numbers alone don’t tell the full story, and you can’t have numbers without court watchers.
The Rise of Court Watching
Court watching is exactly what it sounds like: ordinary citizens sitting in on public court proceedings, taking notes, and holding legal actors accountable.
Programs like Court Watch NYC and The People’s Paper Co-op have shown how community members can expose injustice through collective observation.
It’s a crucial role and an important civic duty, because court watchers document:
- Disparities in how judges treat defendants based on race or income
- Prosecutors who consistently recommend excessive sentences
- Judges who deny bail to indigent defendants but grant leniency to wealthier ones
- Patterns of judicial indifference or bias in language, tone, and sentencing
These observations are shared publicly, and often with the help of data dashboards and social media, to shine a spotlight on judicial behavior once shielded by obscurity.
Turning Observation Into Reform
When court watching is paired with open data initiatives, it creates a feedback loop of accountability. The days of hiding dirty court room deeds are coming to an end, much to the chagrin of those who would rather keep it quiet.
As a result, activists are now using data to:
- Track and publish sentencing trends by judge or courthouse
- Build public pressure campaigns against bias and misconduct
- Inform legislation that targets inequality in bail, plea bargaining, and sentencing
- Demand transparency from court systems and prosecutorial offices
In Michigan, for example, community-led court watching efforts, including ones rolled-out by myself, are finally highlighting how judges sentence defendants from rural, lower-income backgrounds more harshly than others, even when charges and records are similar.
It’s happening in both rural communities, and cities like Kalamazoo, too. Data and truth are finally rising to the top, despite bureaucrats efforts to silence dissent.
Why It Matters
A justice system that punishes you more harshly because you’re poor or Black isn’t broken, because it’s functioning exactly as it was built. However, exposing this massive disparity is the first step toward dismantling it and building something better in its place.
No, court watchers aren’t lawyers. We aren’t politicians. They’re people like you and me, armed with clipboards, courage, and a commitment to truth. And paired with data, we’re changing the story.
Want to Get Involved?
Join the resistance! Here’s how to get started:
- Join or start a local court watching program
- Advocate for open court data in your county at Board of Commissioners meetings
- Demand your elected officials audit sentencing disparities
- Use your social media platforms to share what you witness, learn, and discuss it with others
It’s time we all roll up our sleeves, because the justice system doesn’t get better unless we’re watching.
