The results indicate that the racial gap in support for harsh criminal justice policies is linked to racial prejudice on the part of Whites and perceived injustice among African-Americans. The findings support the conflict perspective in criminology, and demonstrate how Whites’ and African-Americans’ attitudes toward crime policies are associated with their social structural location vis-à-vis the criminal justice system. The response to crime and violence in the United States has become increasingly punitive over the last several decades. In addition, conflict theory and previous research suggest that the African-American-White difference in support for harsh criminal punishments may be linked to anti-African-American prejudice among Whites and perceived injustice among African-American. Using data from the 2001 Race, Crime and Public Opinion Study, this paper examined racial differences in levels of punitiveness. It answers the question: what factors account for the racial gap in punitiveness? Two main explanations were considered: perceived racial bias in the criminal justice system and racial prejudice. Tables, figure, notes and references