NCJ Number
16023
Date Published
1974
Length
54 pages
Annotation
A STUDY WHICH ANALYSES THE SENTENCES AND OFFENSES OF 1,100 MALE FELONS FIRST RELEASED TO PAROLE IN CALIFORNIA IN 1970 WITH EMPHASIS ON NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS AND TYPE OF SENTENCE FOR MULTIPLE CONVICTIONS.
Abstract
IN CALIFORNIA A FELON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF MULTIPLE COUNTS OF AN OFFENSE, OR SINGLE COUNTS OF MULTIPLE OFFENSES, MAY RECEIVE CONCURRENT OR CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES AT THE TIME OF HIS COMMITMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. IN THIS STUDY, DATA ARE GIVEN ABOUT THE VARIOUS OFFENSES, THE TYPES OF SENTENCE (CONCURRENT OR CONSECUTIVE). THE TIME IN PRISON SERVED BEYOND THE MINIMUM ELIGIBLE PAROLE DATE (MEPD), AND THE OUTCOME ON PAROLE. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT 57 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE WERE INPRISONED ON A SINGLE CONVICTION, AND WHILE MEN IN THIS CATEGORY HAD THE LOWEST PERCENT OF FAVORABLE OUTCOMES ON PAROLE, THEY ALSO HAD THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE OF RETURNS TO PRISON. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS HAD NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON PAROLE OUTCOME. PROPERTY OFFENDERS WITH MILTIPLE OFFENSES WERE FOUND TO HAVE FEWER FAVORABLE PAROLE OUTCOMES AND MORE RETURNS TO PRISON THAN PERSON OFFENDERS. THREE-FOURTHS OF THE MEN WITH MULTIPLE CONVICTIONS WERE SENTENCED TO SERVE TERMS CONCURRENTLY. MEDIAN TIME IN PRISON AFTER MEPD FOR THIS GROUP WAS FOUND TO BE TWO YEARS. WHEN AN OFFENSE AGAINST A PERSON WAS INCLUDED IN THE MULTIPLE CONVICTIONS, CONSECUTIVE SENTENCING WAS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR. IT WAS FOUND THAT PAROLEES WITH CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES HAD THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES OF FAVORABLE PAROLE OUTCOMES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)