DESCRIPTION OF COURT COMMITMENTS TO THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION DURING 1973

• NCJ Number: 17242
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 35 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A SERIES OF COMPUTER GENERATED TABLES DESCRIBING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE COMMITTED BY THE COURTS, WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TRENDS INDICATED IN THESE STATISTICS.

Abstract

FOUR MAJOR CHANGES IN CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE COMMITTED WERE FOUND IN 1973. THE MOST SERIOUS PRESENT OFFENSE OF 1973 COMMITMENTS WAS LESS LIKELY TO BE DRUG OR PROPERTY OFFENSES OTHER THAN BURGLARY. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE MOST SERIOUS PRESENT OFFENSE WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE ARMED ROBBERY, AND THAT LONGER RECORDS OF PRIOR PERSON OFFENSES WERE MORE COMMON. SENTENCES TO WALPOLE AND CONCORD WERE BECOMING LONGER, WHILE THE OPPOSITE TREND WAS FOUND IN FRAMINGHAM COMMITMENTS. FINALLY, SUPERIOR COURT COMMITMENTS DROPPED IN THE NEW BEDFORD-FALL RIVER AND LOWELL-LAWRENCE AREAS, WHILE THEY INCREASED AROUND BOSTON. TABLES ON OFFENSE AND SENTENCE RELATED VARIABLES SUCH AS PRESENT OFFENSE, TYPE OF SENTENCE, NUMBER OF SECOND AND THIRD OFFENDERS, AND TIME UNTIL PAROLE ELIGIBILITY ARE FIRST PRESENTED. SOCIAL BACKGROUND VARIABLES, INCLUDING AGE, RACE, LAST CIVILIAN ADDRESS, EDUCATION, AND OCCUPATION ARE INCLUDED AS WELL. FINALLY, VARIABLES ON CRIMINAL HISTORY SUCH AS NUMBER OF INCARCERATIONS AND NUMBER OF PRIOR COURT APPEARANCES ARE REPORTED....DMS