IMPACT OF CRIMINAL COURT SENTENCING DECISIONS AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

• NCJ Number: 10452
• Author(s): M A LEVIN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 79 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI-70-065-PG-19
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Brandeis University
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS REPORT EXPLORES THE IMPACT OF JUDGES' SENTENCING PRACTICES AND COURTS STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS ON RECIDIVISM RATES.

Abstract

IT EXPLAINS THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF POLICY EVALUATION AND HOW THE EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCE DIFFER FROM THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PURE SOCIAL SCIENCE. IT DESCRIBES A NUMBER OF STUDIES INTENDED TO DETERMINE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN TYPE OF SENTENCE AND THE PROBABILITY OF RECIDIVISM, WITH SUBSTANTIAL ATTENTION TO THE METHODOLOGICAL WEAKNESSES OF THESE STUDIES. THE WORK THEN CONTRASTS ANALYTICAL EVALUATIONS OF EXISTING PROGRAMS WITH THOSE OF CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS. A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NONRECIDIVISM, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING POLICIES, INDICATES THAT THE TYPE OF TREATMENT HAS A MAJOR IMPACT. IT WAS FOUND THAT THOSE OFFENDERS WHO WERE GRANTED PROBATION, IN THE PITTSBURGH AND MINNEAPOLIS COURTS STUDIED, GENERALLY HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RATES OF RECIDIVISM THAN THOSE WHO HAD BEEN INCARCERATED. THE PATTERN TENDED TO PERSIST WHEN OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPE OF OFFENSE WERE CONTROLLED. THE ANALYSIS ALSO INDICATED THAT OTHER FACTORS, SUCH AS TYPE OF OFFENSE, PRIOR RECORD, RACE, AGE, AND NARCOTICS HISTORY, HAD A MAJOR IMPACT. HOWEVER, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE TYPE OF TREATMENT PRESCRIBED BY THE JUDGE SEEMED TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT THAN OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS OR THE TYPE OF OFFENSE. (SNI ABSTRACT)