NCJ Number
215720
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2006 Pages: 241-261
Date Published
September 2006
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed the effects of race-ethnicity and gender on sentence outcomes.
Abstract
Overall, the findings revealed that both gender and race-ethnicity had a significant impact on sentence outcomes. Main findings indicated that race-ethnicity influenced male but not female sentences. On the other hand, gender was found to significantly influence sentencing across all racial-ethnic groups. More specifically, the results revealed that female defendants received greater leniency in sentencing than male defendants and that Black and Hispanic defendants received less favorable treatment than White defendants. The findings suggest that Black and Hispanic female defendants benefit more from their gender than had previously been thought. Individual-level data from large urban courts for the years 1990 through 1996 were drawn from the State Court Processing Statistics program of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Data contained information on sentencing decisions, case information, demographic information, and criminal histories for 24,254 White, Black, and Hispanic defendants. Variables under examination included gender, race-ethnicity, offense severity, criminal history, mode of conviction, incarceration decision, and sentence length decision. Data analysis included the use of multivariate regression models while the theoretical analysis was informed by the “focal concerns” theory of judicial decisionmaking, which holds that court actors rely on three focal concerns in reaching sentencing decisions: blameworthiness, protection of the community, and practical constraints and consequences. Future research should continue to analyze the current finding that the race-ethnicity of minority female defendants does not result in harsher sentencing outcomes. Tables, references