Race and Washington’s Criminal Justice System: 2021 Report to the Washington Supreme Court

RACE & WASHINGTON’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: EDITOR’S NOTE As Editors-in-Chief of the Washington Law Review, Gonzaga Law Review, and Seattle University Law Review, we represent the flagship legal academic publications of each law school in Washington State. Our publications last joined together to publish the findings of the first Task Force on Race and the Criminal Justice System in 2011/12. A decade later, we are honored to join once again to present the findings of Task Force 2.0. Law journals have enabled generations of legal professionals to introduce, vet, and distribute new ideas, critiques of existing legal structures, and reflections on the development of our field. In the spirit of this tradition, we present this report in all three of our publications. This joint publication represents a unified recognition of the paramount importance of identifying and addressing racial disparities in our state’s justice system. As future legal professionals, we are proud to support this work and to amplify voices seeking to promote fairness and justice. Sincerely, Kenneth Nelson Editor-in-Chief Washington Law Review Carly C. Roberts Editor-in-Chief Gonzaga Law Review Jaclyn T. Sakamoto Editor-in-Chief Seattle University Law Review