NCJ Number
61532
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE CASES OF 122 RANDOMLY-SELECTED DEFENDANTS CONVICTED OF MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY IN MASSACHUSETTS ARE ANALYZED TO ASSESS SENTENCING PATTERNS OF CASES BETWEEN 1975 AND 1978.
Abstract
THE DATA FOR THE MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY CONVICTIONS WERE DRAWN FROM THE SAMPLE OF 4,976 RECORDS RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE PROBATION CENTRAL FILE. STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING WAS USED THROUGHOUT THE ALPHABETIZED FILE TO PREVENT ETHNIC BIAS. CRITERIA FOR STUDY INCLUSION WERE CASE ARRAIGNMENT AND DISPOSITION BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1975, AND DECEMBER 31, 1978, AND A CONVICTION FOR A QUALIFYING OFFENSE. QUALIFYING OFFENSES WERE A CRIME AGAINST A PERSON OF PROPERTY AND USE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE WITHOUT AUTHORITY. MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY OFFENSES CONSTITUTED 1.6 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL 7,739 OFFENSES IN THE AGGREGATE STUDY. FINDINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPERTY DESTRUCTION SAMPLE WERE COMPARED WITH THE DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE AGGREGATE STUDY TO ASCERTAIN ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES. RESULTS SHOWED THAT PERSONS CONVICTED OF MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY WERE LARGELY MALE (95.1 PERCENT) AND BETWEEN THE AGES OF 17 AND 25 (62.3 PERCENT). ALMOST EVERY CHARGE OF MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERY WAS TREATED AS A MISDEMEANOR, AND MOST CHARGES WERE HEARD IN THE DISTRICT COURT (78.6 PERCENT). EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE CONVICTED DEFENDANTS HAD PREVIOUS CRIMINAL HISTORIES, WITH CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY REPRESENTING THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF PRIOR OFFENSES. MOST PERSONS RECEIVED SUSPENDED SENTENCES (37.7 PERCENT), BUT MANY WERE GIVEN PROBATION (21.3 PERCENT) THAT EXTENDED, ON AVERAGE FOR 1 YEAR AND 4 MONTHS. JUST UNDER 14 PERCENT OF THE CONVICTED DEFENDANTS WERE INCARCERATED, AS COMPARED TO 21 PERCENT OF DEFENDANTS FOR ALL OFFENSES. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)