Have The England and Wales Guidelines Affected Sentencing Severity? An Empirical Analysis Using a Scale of Severity and Time-Series Analyses

Datos Bibliográficos

ID8401075
AutoresJose Pina-Sánchez (0000-0002-9416-6022, University of Leeds, autor de correspondencia), John Paul Gosling (0000-0002-4072-3022, University of Leeds), Hye-In Chung, Hyein Chung (University of Leeds), Elizabeth Bourgeois (University of Leeds), Sara Geneletti (0000-0001-6456-7258, London School of Economics and Political Science), Ian D Marder (0000-0003-3293-7730, National University of Ireland, Maynooth)
Año2019
Volumen59
Número4
Páginas979-1001
Fecha de publicación2019-06-06
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaThe British Journal of Criminology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0007-0955 • E-ISSN: 1464-3529
EditorialOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/bjc/azz005
OpenAlexW2910040118
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas7
Referencias citadas49

Sentence severity has increased in England and Wales in recent years. The causes of the increase remain unclear. One possible explanation relates to the introduction of sentencing guidelines, which seem to coincide in time with the increase in sentence severity. To date, investigations of this hypothesis have been limited to simple exploratory analyses or to specific offences. We use a new scale of sentence severity—developed using Thurstone scaling and the participation of 21 magistrates—and time-series modelling to explore whether a causal effect can be attributed to seven different guidelines. We corroborate the existence of an increase in sentence severity; however, we do not find conclusive evidence pointing at the guidelines having caused it.

Developmental psychology · Econometrics · Geography · Natural language processing · Scale (ratio) · Sentence · Thurstone scale · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Law, Economics, and Judicial Systems · Mathematics · Medicine · Psychology