RECIDIVIST IMPACTS OF DIFFERENTIAL SENTENCING PRACTICES FOR BURGLARY OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 49026
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1977) Pages: 386-396
• Author(s): T BARTELL; L T WINFREE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 10 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-06-0002
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc; American Soc of Criminology
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TO EXAMINE THE RECIDIVIST IMPACTS OF PROBATIONARY SENTENCES VERSUS INCARCERATION, STATISTICALLY CONTROLLED COMPARISONS WERE MADE USING A PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF 100 OFFENDERS SENTENCED FOR BURGLARY DURING 1971.

Abstract

THE SAMPLE WAS COMPOSED OF OFFENDERS IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. OF THE 100 OFFENDERS, 34 WERE INCARCERATED, 45 RECEIVED PROBATIONARY SENTENCES, AND 21 OFFENDERS WERE GIVEN SOME ALTERNATIVE SENTENCE SUCH AS FINES, RESTITUTION/COMMUNITY SERVICE, OR DRUG/ALCOHOL TREATMENT. FIRST OFFENDERS ACCOUNTED FOR 75 PERCENT OF THE GROUP; 25 PERCENT HAD PREVIOUS BURGLARY CONVICTIONS. TYPES OF RECIDIVISM STUDIES INCLUDED ARRESTS FOR ANY FELONY, ARRESTS FOR BURGLARY, CONVICTIONS FOR ANY CRIME, AND SUBSEQUENT CONVICTIONS FOR BURGLARY. IN GENERAL, OFFENDERS WHO HAD HIGHER NUMBER OF PREVIOUS ARRESTS, AND WHO WERE OLDER, WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE INCARCERATED. THE SINGLE BEST PREDICTOR FOR FELONY REARREST WAS AGE, WITH YOUNGER OFFENDERS BEING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO BE REARRESTED THAN OLDER OFFENDERS. BOTH PROBATIONERS AND INCARCERATED OFFENDERS WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED FOR A FELONY THAN THOSE RECEIVING ALTERNATIVE DISPOSITIONS, WITH INCARCERATED OFFENDERS BEING LEAST LIKELY TO BE REARRESTED FOR A FELONY. THE NUMBER OF PRIOR BURGLARY ARRESTS AND AGE WERE THE BEST PREDICTORS OF REARREST FOR BURGLARY: THE YOUNGER THE OFFENDER, THE HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF REARREST FOR BURGLARY. YOUNGER OFFENDER STATUS AND PREVIOUS INCARCERATION OR PROBATION CORRELATED WITH THE GREATEST PROBABILITY FOR SUBSEQUENT CONVICTION OF ANY CRIME (BOTH MISDEMEANORS AND FELONIES). THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR FOR A LACK OF SUBSEQUENT FELONY CONVICTIONS WAS PROBATIONER STATUS. SUBSEQUENT BURGLARY CONVICTIONS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PREVIOUS NUMBER OF INCARCERATIONS FOR ANY CRIME. YOUNGER PERSONS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE CONVICTED OF SUBSEQUENT BURGLARY THAN OLDER OFFENDERS. FINDINGS FOR SENTENCE TYPE ARE UNEQUIVOCAL: PERSONS PLACED ON PROBATION CONSISTENTLY HAVE LOWER RATES OF SUBSEQUENT CONVICTIONS THAN OFFENDERS WHO WERE INCARCERATED OR RECEIVED ALTERNATIVE DISPOSITIONS. LENGTH OF SENTENCE, TYPE OF RELEASE, AND NUMBER OF PREVIOUS ARRESTS WERE LARGELY UNRELATED TO SUBSEQUENT RECIDIVISM RATES. NO TABULAR OR GRAPHIC DATA ARE INCLUDED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.(JAP)