NCJ Number
82535
Journal
Journal of Offender Counseling Services and Rehabilitation Volume: 5 Issue: 3 and 4 Dated: (Spring/Summer 1981) Pages: 27-37
Date Published
1982
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study investigated offenders' judgments of the fairness of their sentences, as well as the means used to determine what is fair.
Abstract
One hundred prison inmates were interviewed about their perceptions. Most inmates perceived their sentences as fair, although a substantial minority thought they were too lenient or too severe. Few inmates see plea bargaining as fair, while most see it as either excessively lenient or severe. Expectations for length of sentence came from either lawyers or personal knowledge of the criminal justice system. Neither source provided reliable information, and offenders generally were unable to predict their sentences with any degree of accuracy. This was true regardless of offense severity or previous criminal experience. (Author abstract)