Probation Officer Recommendations for Sentencing Relative to Judicial Practice: The Implications for African Americans

• NCJ Number: 236041
• Journal: Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 301-329
• Author(s): Michael Leiber Ph.D.; John Reitzel Ph.D.; Kristin Mack Ph.D.
• Date Published: September 2011
• Length: 29 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined probation officer recommendation for sentencing.

Abstract

A number of studies have been conducted that assess the role of the prosecutor on judicial decisionmaking in regard to the differential treatment African-Americans may receive relative to Whites. Missing from this inquiry has been consideration of the influence that probation officers may have on this process. In the present study, the focal concerns perspective and prior research are used as background to understand the concordance between probation officer sentencing recommendations and decisionmaking by judges and the extent to which this relationship may be tempered by the race of the offender. (Published Abstract)