Cassia Spohn
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 81341 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Cassia Spohn |
| PRENOMES | Cassia |
| SOBRENOME | Spohn |
| ASSINATURA | SPOHN C |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Arizona State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1043-3873 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 60 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 971 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 60 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 1981 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 17 |
Rethinking Drug Prosecution
To address concerns about a legal system frequently viewed as overly punitive and racially unjust, progressive chief prosecutors have sought to reduce or eliminate the prosecution of low-level drug offenses. Yet, no empirical research has examined whether jurisdictions led by progressive prosecutors treat such offenses less punitively or exhibit smaller racial/ethnic disparities than jurisdictions led by traditional prosecutors. Using case-level …
Perpetual Incarceration
Life sentences without the possibility of parole (LWOP) are an important feature of the modern American penal system, but relatively little research examines the factors that shape the imposition of these sentences. In the federal system, life sentences—all of which are LWOP sentences due to the abolition of federal parole—often result from mandatory minimum sentencing statutes that require life imprisonment. We use USSC data from 2010 to 2017 to…
Revisiting the Use of Total Incarceration Variables in Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Sentencing
Research on sentencing typically measures the sentence with either a dichotomous in/out variable that combines prison and jail sentences, or with a continuous variable of the length of the sentence. Holleran and Spohn called this into question, arguing that combining prison and jail into a “total incarceration” measure can lead to overly simplistic findings. We use data from Miami-Dade County, Florida ( N = 40,240) to replicate and extend Hollera…
Does variation across judicial circuits matter? Examining the role of bail schedules and pretrial detention on drug case outcomes in Florida
Gender in the Courtroom Workgroup
For decades, research has revealed a gender disparity in criminal case outcomes. This phenomenon was traditionally explained as a product of male court actors’ protectiveness of women and the minimization of female threat. In the current study, we capitalize on the increasing gender diversity of courts to examine if the gender gap in punishment is explained by the gender composition of the decision-making body in criminal courts: the courtroom wo…
Reimagining Pretrial & Sentencing
In this article, we discuss the evolution of criminal justice reform efforts focused on pretrial and sentencing policies and practices that resulted in unprecedented rates of incarceration. There is an urgent need to identify a strategy of pretrial justice and sentencing that will reduce crime and victimization, ameliorate unwarranted disparities, and reclaim human capital currently lost to incarceration. A discussion of proposed policy reforms s…
Life lessons
Alongside capital punishment, sentences to life without the possibility of parole are one of the most distinctive aspects of the American system of criminal punishment. Unlike the death penalty, though, almost no empirical work has examined the decision to impose life imprisonment. The current study analyzes several years of recent federal sentencing data (FY2010–FY2017) to investigate underlying sources of racial disparity in life without parole…
Reflections on the Exercise of Prosecutorial Discretion 50 Years After Publication of The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society
In The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society, the U.S. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice under President Johnson in 1967 acknowledged the influential role that prosecutors play but lamented the fact that their highly discretionary charging and plea bargaining decisions were often made haphazardly and inconsistently. The Commission called for more transparency and accountability in charging and plea bargaining …
Sociolegal Approaches to the Study of Guilty Pleas and Prosecution
Defendants charged with crimes in US courts rarely go to trial. Instead, convicted defendants typically waive their right to trial and plead guilty, sometimes after bargaining for a reduced charge or reduced sentence. This article takes stock of the theoretical and empirical research on guilty pleas and organizes the key findings and limitations across this interdisciplinary body of work. Several areas in need of empirical attention are identifie…
Untested Sexual Assault Kits
When the Perpetrator Is a Partner
Law enforcement officials and prosecutors have been called "gatekeepers" of the criminal justice system, as their discretionary decisions determine case outcomes. Using the focal concerns perspective as our theoretical foundation, we explore the factors that influence arrest and charging decisions in intimate partner sexual assaults (IPSA) reported to Los Angeles law enforcement in 2008. Quantitative findings are supplemented with qualitative exa…
Evolution of Sentencing Research
Prosecuting Intimate Partner Sexual Assault
Prosecutors play a crucial role in determining whether persons who are accused of intimate partner sexual assault (IPSA) will be sanctioned by the criminal justice system. Prosecutors have unconditional discretion at the initial charging stage because a case rejection decision is typically immune to review. Using qualitative data from 47 IPSA complaints that were referred to Los Angeles County or City prosecution in 2008, this study examines the …
Race, Crime, and Punishment in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
Flagrant and widespread racism that characterized the criminal justice system during the early part of the twentieth century has largely been eliminated, but racial disparities persist. Whether because of overt racism, implicit bias, or laws and practices that have racially disparate effects, black (and Hispanic) men and women make up a disproportionate number of people in American prisons and on death row. Researchers have conducted dozens of st…
Criminal stigma, race, and ethnicity
Federal Sentencing as a Complex Collaborative Process
Investigations of how criminal justice actors contribute to variation in sentencing typically focus on the role played by the judge. We argue that sentencing should be viewed as a collaborative process involving actors other than the judge and that the role of the prosecutor is particularly salient. We also contend that the courtroom workgroup literature has suggested that sentences may vary depending on the particular judge and prosecutor to who…
The Truth Behind the Lies
The issue of false allegations is arguably the most controversial topic in the area of sexual violence. Portrayals of women who make false allegations are largely negative and leave little room for a comprehensive understanding of the complex motivations behind false complaints of sexual assault. The current study uses detailed qualitative data on 55 sexual assault cases that were reported to the Los Angeles Police Department in 2008 and that wer…
Fundamentally Flawed?”
Research Summary Using U.S. Sentencing Commission data, this study assesses whether judicial downward departures are more prevalent among child pornography offenders compared with a matched sample of defendants convicted of other offenses. Additionally, we examine reasons given by judges when departing from the guidelines for these offenders. We found that child pornography defendants received significant reductions in sentences by way of judicia…
Twentieth‐Century Sentencing Reform Movement
Cumulative Disadvantage
Current research on criminal case processing typically examines a single decision‐making point, so drawing reliable conclusions about the impact that factors such as defendants’ race or ethnicity exert across successive stages of the justice system is difficult. Using data from the New York County District Attorney's Office that tracks 185,275 diverse criminal cases, this study assesses racial and ethnic disparity for multiple discretionary point…
Unfounding Sexual Assault
One of the most controversial-and least understood-issues in the area of sexual violence is the prevalence of false reports of rape. Estimates of the rate of false reports vary widely, which reflects differences in way false reports are defined and in the methods that researchers use to identify them. We address this issue using a mixed methods approach that incorporates quantitative and qualitative data on sexual assault cases that were reported…
Racial Disparities in Prosecution, Sentencing, and Punishment
Issues of racial and ethnic disparity in the criminal justice system continues to provoke controversy and spark debate. It is clear that the overt discrimination that characterized the criminal justice system in the first half of the 20th Century is a thing of the past. Reforms mandated by appellate courts or adopted voluntarily by state and federal governments have made it less likely that criminal justice officials treat similarly situated defe…
Policing and Prosecuting Sexual Assault
Cassia Spohn and Katharine Tellis assess the criminal justice system's response to sexual assault, exploring the complex dynamics that shape the actions of police and prosecutors. The authors draw on unparalleled access to Los Angeles detectives, prosecutors, and case files to make sense of the factors that affect the outcomes of sexual assault claims. Following cases from victim report, to police investigation, to the decision to charge-or not t…
The Criminal Justice System’s Response to Sexual Violence
The legal reforms of the 1960s and 1970s notwithstanding, sexual assault is a crime characterized by underreporting and case attrition. In this article, the authors synthesize research examining the criminal justice system's response to sexual assault. The authors begin by examining research on the victim's decision to report the crime to the police. This is followed by a discussion of the findings of sexual assault case processing research, with…
Race, Ethnicity, and Crime
This article surveys research findings on racial and ethnic differences in offending, victimization, and justice system processing. Section I focuses on racial and ethnic disparities in victimization and off ending, as well as the causal explanations that have been proffered to explain these disparities. Section II reviews historical and contemporary research exploring the effects of race and ethnicity on justice system processing, with a focus o…
The Imprisonment Penalty Paid by Young, Unemployed Black and Hispanic Male Offenders
A recent study of sentencing decisions in Pennsylvania (Steffensmeier et al., 1998) identified significant interrelationships among race, gender, age, and sentence severity. The authors of this study found that each of the three offender characteristics had significant direct effects on sentence outcomes and that the characteristics interacted to produce substantially harsher sentences for one category of offenders—young black males. This study r…
Cumulative Disadvantage
Current research on criminal case processing typically examines a single decision‐making point, so drawing reliable conclusions about the impact that factors such as defendants’ race or ethnicity exert across successive stages of the justice system is difficult. Using data from the New York County District Attorney's Office that tracks 185,275 diverse criminal cases, this study assesses racial and ethnic disparity for multiple discretionary point…
Women as Policymakers
Previous research analyzing differences between men and women political elites has focused primarily on attitudinal differences, recruitment patterns, or background characteristics. In contrast, this research looks at possible behavioral differences. It examines the convicting and sentencing behavior of men and women judges in over 30,000 felony cases in Metro City. In particular, it compares the behavior of men and women judges in convicting and…
The Effect of Race on Sentencing
Although the possible effect of race on sentencing decisions is a much-studied question, even recent studies suffer from methodological problems. This paper attempts to correct these problems by using a large number of cases and a large number of offenses, by dividing the sentencing decision into two separate decisions, by using an appropriate scale to measure sentence severity, by including controls for relevant legal and extra-legal factors, an…
The Impact of the Ethnicity and Gender of Defendants on the Decision to Reject or Dismiss Felony Charges
While social scientists have long been interested in the issue of racial and sexual discrimination within the criminal justice system, they have concentrated on the decisions to convict and sentence and have paid relatively little attention to the decision to prosecute. This study examines the issue of pretrial discrimination by focusing on the prosecutor's decision to reject or dismiss charges against black, Anglo, and Hispanic male and female d…
The Sentencing Decisions of Black and White Judges
Those who champion the representation of blacks on the bench argue that black judges may make a difference. Indeed, some suggest that increasing the proportion of black judges might result in more equitable treatment of black and white defendants. In this study we test these expectations. Using data on defendants charged with violent felonies, we compare the sentencing decisions of black and white judges in Detroit. We find remarkable similaritie…
Prosecutorial Justifications for Sexual Assault Case Rejection
The decision to charge is a critical stage in the processing of sexual assault cases, as many cases do not proceed beyond this stage. Frohmann (1991) examined prosecutorial justifications for case rejection and concluded that prosecutors construct typifications of credible victims and rape relevant behavior in deciding whether to file charges in sexual assault cases. We use data on 1997 sexual battery cases cleared by arrest in Miami, Florida, as…
The Criminal Justice System’s Response to Sexual Violence
The legal reforms of the 1960s and 1970s notwithstanding, sexual assault is a crime characterized by underreporting and case attrition. In this article, the authors synthesize research examining the criminal justice system's response to sexual assault. The authors begin by examining research on the victim's decision to report the crime to the police. This is followed by a discussion of the findings of sexual assault case processing research, with…
The Effect of Imprisonment on Recidivism Rates of Felony Offenders
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the deterrent effect of imprisonment. Using data on offenders convicted of felonies in 1993 in Jackson County (Kansas City), Missouri, we compare recidivism rates for offenders sentenced to prison with those for offenders placed on probation. We find no evidence that imprisonment reduces the likelihood of recidivism. Instead, we find compelling evidence that offenders who are sentenced to prison have highe…
Criminal stigma, race, and ethnicity
On the Use of the Total Incarceration Variable in Sentencing Research
This study calls into question the use of the total incarceration response variable incorporated into sentencing studies over the past 30 years. Specifically, using data from the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing (PCS), it argues–and reveals–that prison and jail represent two distinct institutions, and that the judge's decision on disposition should take that factor into account. It recommends that researchers should therefore reconsider use …
The Influence of Blame and Believability Factors on the Processing of Simple Versus Aggravated Rape Cases
In this study we test two hypotheses concerning the processing of simple and aggravated rape cases. First, we test the hypothesis that aggravated rape cases are taken more seriously than simple rape cases by decision makers in the criminal justice system and, thus, aggravated cases will result in more serious outcomes. Second, we test the hypothesis that the influence of factors relating to the blame and believability of a victim on case processi…
Unfounding Sexual Assault
One of the most controversial-and least understood-issues in the area of sexual violence is the prevalence of false reports of rape. Estimates of the rate of false reports vary widely, which reflects differences in way false reports are defined and in the methods that researchers use to identify them. We address this issue using a mixed methods approach that incorporates quantitative and qualitative data on sexual assault cases that were reported…
Rape Law Reform and Instrumental Change in Six Urban Jurisdictions
Concerns about the treatment of rape victims and attrition in rape cases prompted a nationwide movement to reform state rape laws. In this study we evaluate the impact of rape law reforms on reports of rape and the processing of rape cases in six urban jurisdictions-Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, D.C. Our results strongly suggest that the ability of rape reform legislation to affect case outcomes is limited. Tim…
U.S. Attorneys and Substantial Assistance Departures
An important and highly discretionary component of the federal sentencing guidelines is the downward departure for providing substantial assistance. Critics charge that the substantial assistance departure, which requires a motion by the prosecutor, may produce the type of unwarranted sentencing disparity that the guidelines were intended to eliminate. Research reveals, for example, that jurisdictional variations are evident in the use of substan…
Federal Sentencing as a Complex Collaborative Process
Investigations of how criminal justice actors contribute to variation in sentencing typically focus on the role played by the judge. We argue that sentencing should be viewed as a collaborative process involving actors other than the judge and that the role of the prosecutor is particularly salient. We also contend that the courtroom workgroup literature has suggested that sentences may vary depending on the particular judge and prosecutor to who…
When the Perpetrator Is a Partner
Law enforcement officials and prosecutors have been called "gatekeepers" of the criminal justice system, as their discretionary decisions determine case outcomes. Using the focal concerns perspective as our theoretical foundation, we explore the factors that influence arrest and charging decisions in intimate partner sexual assaults (IPSA) reported to Los Angeles law enforcement in 2008. Quantitative findings are supplemented with qualitative exa…
Race, Crime, and Punishment in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
Flagrant and widespread racism that characterized the criminal justice system during the early part of the twentieth century has largely been eliminated, but racial disparities persist. Whether because of overt racism, implicit bias, or laws and practices that have racially disparate effects, black (and Hispanic) men and women make up a disproportionate number of people in American prisons and on death row. Researchers have conducted dozens of st…
Gender and Juvenile Justice Decision Making
This study examines the independent and interactive effects of race and gender on juvenile justice decision making. Using data from a sample of juvenile court referrals from two midwestern juvenile courts, this study looks at males and females separately by race. The results indicate that the effect of race on the pre-adjudication detention and disposition outcomes varies by gender. The severity or leniency of the outcomes is determined by race, …
Sentencing
While there is nearly unanimous agreement among social scientists that the defendant's prior record is important in explaining the sentence imposed on the defendant, there is little agreement on the “best” or most appropriate measure of prior record to use in examining sentence disparity. This study provides an assessment of the utility of 11 commonly used measures of prior record. We find that the various measures are not interrelated highly and…
Sociolegal Approaches to the Study of Guilty Pleas and Prosecution
Defendants charged with crimes in US courts rarely go to trial. Instead, convicted defendants typically waive their right to trial and plead guilty, sometimes after bargaining for a reduced charge or reduced sentence. This article takes stock of the theoretical and empirical research on guilty pleas and organizes the key findings and limitations across this interdisciplinary body of work. Several areas in need of empirical attention are identifie…
Prosecuting Intimate Partner Sexual Assault
Prosecutors play a crucial role in determining whether persons who are accused of intimate partner sexual assault (IPSA) will be sanctioned by the criminal justice system. Prosecutors have unconditional discretion at the initial charging stage because a case rejection decision is typically immune to review. Using qualitative data from 47 IPSA complaints that were referred to Los Angeles County or City prosecution in 2008, this study examines the …
Do you get what you pay for? Type of counsel and its effect on criminal court outcomes
The Joint Effects of Offender Race/Ethnicity and Gender on Substantial Assistance Departures in Federal Courts
Research on the federal sentencing process has demonstrated that, the sentencing guidelines notwithstanding, outcomes are affected by legally irrelevant offender characteristics. Using data on offenders convicted of drug offenses in three U.S. district courts, we build on and extend this research. We examine the main and interactive effects of offender race/ethnicity and gender on the likelihood of receiving a downward departure for providing sub…
Women as Criminal Defendants
SOCIAL SCIENTISTS recently have given attention to the effect of gender on the treatment of defendants in the criminal justice process (see Nagel and Hagan 1983 for a review). While some researchers have found few differences (cf. Green 1961; Simon 1975; Katzenelson 1976), most have found that adult female defendants are treated more leniently than male defendants. They are more likely to be released prior to trial (Nagel and Weitzman 1972; Swige…
Women as Policymakers
Previous research analyzing differences between men and women political elites has focused primarily on attitudinal differences, recruitment patterns, or background characteristics. In contrast, this research looks at possible behavioral differences. It examines the convicting and sentencing behavior of men and women judges in over 30,000 felony cases in Metro City. In particular, it compares the behavior of men and women judges in convicting and…
The Supreme Courts Post‐miranda Rulings
Beginning in 1971, the Burger Court issued a series of rulings which chipped away at the Miranda v. Arizona ruling. This article analyzes the impact of this series of rulings on prosecuting attorneys from countries with a population of 100,000 or more. The results indicate that prosecutors perceive that the Court has changed the degree with which police must comply with Miranda and that prosecutors approve of this, but that prosecutors are not mo…
The Role of Advisory Boards in the Policy Process
The Effect of Race on Sentencing
Although the possible effect of race on sentencing decisions is a much-studied question, even recent studies suffer from methodological problems. This paper attempts to correct these problems by using a large number of cases and a large number of offenses, by dividing the sentencing decision into two separate decisions, by using an appropriate scale to measure sentence severity, by including controls for relevant legal and extra-legal factors, an…
Sentencing
While there is nearly unanimous agreement among social scientists that the defendant's prior record is important in explaining the sentence imposed on the defendant, there is little agreement on the “best” or most appropriate measure of prior record to use in examining sentence disparity. This study provides an assessment of the utility of 11 commonly used measures of prior record. We find that the various measures are not interrelated highly and…
Women as Criminal Defendants
SOCIAL SCIENTISTS recently have given attention to the effect of gender on the treatment of defendants in the criminal justice process (see Nagel and Hagan 1983 for a review). While some researchers have found few differences (cf. Green 1961; Simon 1975; Katzenelson 1976), most have found that adult female defendants are treated more leniently than male defendants. They are more likely to be released prior to trial (Nagel and Weitzman 1972; Swige…
Adolescents' Willingness to Vote for a Woman for President
During the past two decades there has been an increase in the number of women who campaign for and attain political office. This clearly has the potential to influence attitudes toward women in politics. In particular, it has the potential to influence the attitudes of adolescents, who, according to socialization theory, are especially affected by role models. In this study we used a quasiexperimental design to examine adolescents' attitudes towa…
The Impact of the Ethnicity and Gender of Defendants on the Decision to Reject or Dismiss Felony Charges
While social scientists have long been interested in the issue of racial and sexual discrimination within the criminal justice system, they have concentrated on the decisions to convict and sentence and have paid relatively little attention to the decision to prosecute. This study examines the issue of pretrial discrimination by focusing on the prosecutor's decision to reject or dismiss charges against black, Anglo, and Hispanic male and female d…
Adolescents' willingness to vote for a woman for president
Adolescents' Attitudes toward Women in Politics
Recent studies of political attitudes have documented increasing support for women political candidates among college students and adults. This study examined junior and senior high school student's attitudes toward women in politics and analyzed the effect of gender and race on their attitudes. We found that adolescent girls had very positive and optimistic views of the role of women in politics; adolescent boys, particularly blacks, had more ne…
The Sentencing Decisions of Black and White Judges
Those who champion the representation of blacks on the bench argue that black judges may make a difference. Indeed, some suggest that increasing the proportion of black judges might result in more equitable treatment of black and white defendants. In this study we test these expectations. Using data on defendants charged with violent felonies, we compare the sentencing decisions of black and white judges in Detroit. We find remarkable similaritie…
Race and disparities in sentencing
This paper builds on Kalven and Zeisel's “liberation hypothesis” and explores the possibility that racial discrimination in sentencing is confined to less serious cases. We examined the sentences imposed on defendants convicted of violent felonies in Detroit. We found that defendant's race had a direct effect only on the decision to incarcerate but had indirect effects on both incarceration and sentence length. Further analysis revealed an intera…
Decision Making in Sexual Assault Cases
Those who champion the recruitment of minorities and women to the bench argue that black and female judges could bring about important policy changes. This study compared decision making by black and white and by male and female judges in sexual assault cases disposed of in Detroit Recorder's Court from 1976 to 1985. We found no racial differences and very few gender differences. The only exception was that female judges imposed longer prison sen…
A model for teaching criminal justice ethics
This article asks whether we can reasonably expect to make people more ethical by teaching ethics to them. We suggest that a justifiable aim in teaching ethics is to engage students in a serious dialogue concerning how they should conduct their lives as they embark on their careers. If a model for teaching ethics can accomplish this, it also might make students more ethical. After identifying several options that must be considered in designing a…
The Law's the Law, but Fair Is Fair
Recently enacted rape shield laws, which restrict the introduction of evidence of the complainant's prior sexual conduct, have engendered considerable controversy. This paper examines the responses of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys in six major urban jurisdictions to a set of hypothetical cases in which evidence of the victim's past sexual conduct is at issue. The different kinds of sexual history evidence evoke different responses fr…
Rape Law Reform and Instrumental Change in Six Urban Jurisdictions
Concerns about the treatment of rape victims and attrition in rape cases prompted a nationwide movement to reform state rape laws. In this study we evaluate the impact of rape law reforms on reports of rape and the processing of rape cases in six urban jurisdictions-Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, D.C. Our results strongly suggest that the ability of rape reform legislation to affect case outcomes is limited. Tim…
The Influence of Blame and Believability Factors on the Processing of Simple Versus Aggravated Rape Cases
In this study we test two hypotheses concerning the processing of simple and aggravated rape cases. First, we test the hypothesis that aggravated rape cases are taken more seriously than simple rape cases by decision makers in the criminal justice system and, thus, aggravated cases will result in more serious outcomes. Second, we test the hypothesis that the influence of factors relating to the blame and believability of a victim on case processi…
The effect of evidence factors and victim characteristics on prosecutors' charging decisions in sexual assault cases
Feminists contend that legally irrelevant victim characteristics determine the outcome of sexual assault cases. They argue that criminal justice officials base their decisions on stereotypes of rape, and that only “real rapes” with “genuine victims” are taken seriously. Our empirical study of Detroit prosecutors' charging decisions in sexual assault cases confirms this: We found that the only significant predictors of charging were victim charact…
Gender and Case Processing Decisions
Research conducted during the past twenty years has not provided definitive answers to questions concerning the effect of gender on criminal justice decision making. Some researchers conclude that females receive preferential treatment, while other conclude either that there are no differences or that females are treated more harshly than males. This study uses data on male and female defendants charged with violent felonies to examine the effect…
The Color of Justice
This text contains recent research on the topic of justice and includes the experiences of different minority groups. It explores all relevant topics including: patterns of criminal behavior and victimization; police practices; court processing and sentencing; death penalty; prisons, and other correctional programs
Is Preferential Treatment of Female Offenders a Thing of the Past? A Multisite Study of Gender, Race, and Imprisonment
Dramatic increases in the number of women incarcerated in state and federal prisons have led some researchers to conclude that differential sentencing of female offenders is a thing of the past. This study uses data on offenders convicted of felonies in Chicago, Miami, and Kansas City to address this issue. The authors find no evidence to support this “gender neutrality” hypothesis. In all three jurisdictions, women face significantly lower odds …
The Imprisonment Penalty Paid by Young, Unemployed Black and Hispanic Male Offenders
A recent study of sentencing decisions in Pennsylvania (Steffensmeier et al., 1998) identified significant interrelationships among race, gender, age, and sentence severity. The authors of this study found that each of the three offender characteristics had significant direct effects on sentence outcomes and that the characteristics interacted to produce substantially harsher sentences for one category of offenders—young black males. This study r…
Prosecuting sexual assault
In this study of prosecutors' charging decisions in sexual assault cases, we test the hypothesis that the effect of victim characteristics is conditioned by the relationship between the victim and the suspect. We categorize the victim/suspect relationship as one involving strangers, acquaintances/relatives, or intimate partners, and we examine the effect of victim, suspect, and case characteristics on charging decisions in each type of case. The …
Prosecutorial Justifications for Sexual Assault Case Rejection
The decision to charge is a critical stage in the processing of sexual assault cases, as many cases do not proceed beyond this stage. Frohmann (1991) examined prosecutorial justifications for case rejection and concluded that prosecutors construct typifications of credible victims and rape relevant behavior in deciding whether to file charges in sexual assault cases. We use data on 1997 sexual battery cases cleared by arrest in Miami, Florida, as…
The Effect of Imprisonment on Recidivism Rates of Felony Offenders
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the deterrent effect of imprisonment. Using data on offenders convicted of felonies in 1993 in Jackson County (Kansas City), Missouri, we compare recidivism rates for offenders sentenced to prison with those for offenders placed on probation. We find no evidence that imprisonment reduces the likelihood of recidivism. Instead, we find compelling evidence that offenders who are sentenced to prison have highe…
Political science (53 obras) · Psychology (49 obras) · Criminology (47 obras) · Law (47 obras) · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis (43 obras) · Crime Patterns and Interventions (32 obras) · Law (31 obras) · Social Psychology (30 obras) · Sociology (27 obras) · Criminal justice (25 obras)