I really should go to bed, but if anyone is interested in the topic further, Cassia Spohn's work is recognized as some of the most thoroughly researched and well-respected findings in the CJ scholarly community:
http://www.amazon.com/Color-Justice-Ethnicity-Crime-America/dp/0534624464
This is what I went to school for (CJ) and I'm still considering a PhD in the field, or at the very least, working for a sentencing commission/likeminded research group.