VARIATIONS IN PRESENTENCE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS AND COURT DISPOSITIONS

• NCJ Number: 13345
• Journal: RESEARCH REPORT Volume: 2 Issue: 5 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1969) Pages: 27-33
• Author(s): R M CARTER
• Date Published: 1969
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Washington Dept of Institutions
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DESCRIBES PROCEDURES, INDICATES VARIATIONS IN PROBATION OFFICER AND JUDICIAL DECISION-MAKING, AND SUGGESTS VARIABLES WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO DISPARITIES.

Abstract

455 CASES ON WHICH PRESENTENCE REPORTS WERE COMPLETED BY WASHINGTON STATE PROBATION OFFICERS WERE EXAMINED TO EXTRACT INFORMATION ON THE NAME OF THE PROBATION OFFICER WHO PREPARED THE REPORT, THE PROBATION OFFICER'S DISPOSITION RECOMMENDATION, THE COURT DISPOSITION, AND THE NAME OF THE JUDGE WHO IMPOSED THE SENTENCE. THE DATA SHOW THAT PROBATION OFFICERS RECOMMEND PROBATION IN 64 PERCENT OF THE CASES, PROBATION WITH JAIL AS A CONDITION OF PROBATION IN 22 PERCENT OF THE CASES, AND IMPRISONMENT IN 14 PERCENT OF THE CASES. WHEN PROBATION OFFICER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INDIVIDUALIZED AND ARRANGED BY REGIONS, THE DATA REVEAL VARIATIONS BOTH BY REGIONS AND INDIVIDUAL PROBATION OFFICERS. THE DATA ALSO REVEAL HIGH AGREEMENT BETWEEN PROBATION OFFICER RECOMMENDATIONS AND COURT DISPOSITIONS. THERE WAS ALSO SHOWN TO BE AN ABSENCE OF REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN THE AGREEMENT RELATIONSHIP, HOWEVER, WIDESPREAD VARIATIONS EXIST BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL PROBATION OFFICERS AND INDIVIDUAL JUDGES.