PAROLE BOARD DECISIONS AND THE SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT - A CRITICAL REEXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE (FROM NEW AND THE OLD CRIMINOLOGY, 1978, BY EDITH ELISABETH FLYNN AND JOHN P CONRAD - SEE NCJ-47562)

• NCJ Number: 47577
• Author(s): A A SIMKUS; E L HALL; C T GRIFFITHS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Praeger Publishers
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: THIS WAS ORIGINALLY A PAPER PRESENTED TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY MEETINGS, 1974

Annotation

FOCUSING ON PAROLE BOARD DECISIONS TO GRANT OR DENY RELEASE, PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INMATE CHARACTERISTICS AND THE SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT WAS REEVALUATED AND FOUND IN ERROR.

Abstract

RESEARCH RESULTS BY SCOTT AND VANDIVER ON PAROLE BOARD DECISIONMAKING WERE REEXAMINED BASED ON THE SAME DATA USED IN THE ORIGINAL STUDY--RECORDS OF PRISONER CHARACTERISTICS USED BY THE PAROLE BOARD OF A WESTERN STATE DURING THE 5-YEAR PERIOD FROM JUNE 1966 TO JULY 1971. PART OF THE ANALYSIS INVOLVED COMPARING 710 INMATES PAROLED WITH AN ADDITIONAL 182 WHO EITHER VOLUNTARILY OR INVOLUNTARILY WERE NEVER RELEASED ON PAROLE. USING REGRESSION TECHNIQUES TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTROL ALL OTHER AVAILABLE VARIABLES, AN ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF THE INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL LEGAL AND PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS ON THE LENGTH OF SENTENCE IMPOSED BY THE COURT, THE NUMBER OF TIMES AN INMATE'S CASE APPEARED BEFORE THE BOARD AND RESULTED IN DENIAL OF PAROLE, WHETHER THE INMATE WAS EVER GRANTED PAROLE, AND THE RESULTANT LENGTH OF INCARCERATION. A REEXAMINATION OF THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT, CONTRARY TO THE FINDINGS OF SCOTT AND VANDIVER, THE INFLUENCE OF THE PERSONAL/BIOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INMATE IS VERY SMALL AND IS EXERTED MAINLY ON THE SENTENCING PROCESS. IT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE SERIOUSNESS, LENGTH, AND CONSISTENCY OF AN INMATE'S CRIMINAL HISTORY SEEMED TO HAVE THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON PAROLE BOARD DECISIONS. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH NOTES AND REFERENCES. (BAC)