SEPTEMBER STUDY - A LOOK AT SENTENCING AND RECIDIVISM (FROM STUDIES ON IMPRISONMENT, 1976 - SEE NCJ-54805)

• NCJ Number: 54806
• Author(s): K BARNARD; C TENNENHOUSE; M KRASNICK
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 73 pages
• Corporate Author: Law Reform Cmssn of Canada
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

DATA ARE REPORTED ON THE VARIOUS SENTENCING OPTIONS USED AND RECIDIVISM RATES OVER A 5-YEAR PERIOD FOR 2,071 CANADIAN OFFENDERS CONVICTED OF THEIR FIRST INDICTABLE CRIMINAL OFFENSE IN SEPTEMBER 1967.

Abstract

OF THE 2,071 CANADIAN FIRST OFFENDERS ON WHOM SENTENCING AND RECIDIVISM DATA WERE GATHERED, THE VAST MAJORITY WERE MEN, WITH ONE-FOURTH BEING UNDER 19 YEARS OF AGE AND ALMOST THREE-FOURTHS UNDER 30. OVER HALF OF ALL THE CONVICTIONS WERE MADE IN THE PROVINCES OF ONTARIO AND QUEBEC. THE MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECTS COMMITTED PROPERTY CRIMES, WHILE 1 IN EVERY 7 OFFENDERS COMMITTED AN OFFENSE AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON; ONLY 1 IN 20 WAS CONVICTED OF A SEXUAL OFFENSE. FINES WERE USED AS A SANCTION LESS THAN 5 PERCENT OF THE TIME. OVER 40 PERCENT OF THE OFFENDERS WERE PUT ON PROBATION, GIVEN A SUSPENDED SENTENCE, OR RELEASED ON BOND, AND MORE THAN 20 PERCENT WERE IMPRISONED. ONLY 548 OFFENDERS (26.5 PERCENT) WERE CONVICTED OF A SECOND INDICTABLE OFFENSE DURING THE 5-YEAR PERIOD FOLLOWING THEIR FIRST CONVICTION. DATA ON PROPERTY OFFENDERS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING: ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF THE TOTAL SAMPLE WERE FIRST CONVICTED AS PROPERTY OFFENDERS; 1 IN 5 WAS IMPRISONED FOR AT LEAST 1 DAY, WITH 1 IN 6 SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 6 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT; OVER HALF WERE GIVEN A SUSPENDED SENTENCE OR PUT ON PROBATION; OVER A QUARTER WERE ORDERED TO PAY A FINE; JUST UNDER 30 PERCENT RECIDIVATED; FOR THOSE RECIDIVATING, THE MAJORITY COMMITTED PROPERTY CRIMES FOR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES; AND THOSE IMPRISONED WERE MORE LIKELY TO RECIDIVATE THAN THOSE GIVEN NONCUSTODIAL SENTENCES. DATA ON SUBJECTS OFFENDING AGAINST PERSONS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING: IMPRISONMENT RATES WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL WITH THOSE OF PROPERTY OFFENDERS, WITH THE LENGTH OF IMPRISONMENT BEING SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR PROPERTY OFFENDERS; ALMOST HALF WERE ORDERED TO PAY FINES, WITH MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS PAYING $50 OR LESS; THE RECIDIVISM RATE WAS LESS THAN 20 PERCENT; AND ONLY 40.9 PERCENT OF THOSE IMPRISONED RECIDIVATED, WHILE 45.2 PERCENT OF THE NONIMPRISONED RECIDIVATED. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED, AND THE APPENDIXES PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILED DATA, INFORMATION ON A SIMILAR STUDY DONE 5 YEARS AFTER THE REPORTED STUDY, AND A DISCUSSION OF METHODOLOGY. (RCB)