Discretion in the Prison Justice System - A Study of Sentencing in Institutional Disciplinary Proceedings

• NCJ Number: 85230
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: (July 1982) Pages: 216-237
• Author(s): T J Flanagan
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 22 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-SS-99-6038
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Revised version of a paper presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, November 6, 1980, San Francisco, California

Annotation

This study investigates dispositional decisions in disciplinary infraction proceedings in a state prison system.

Abstract

It examines the distribution of types of infractions committed and dispositions received, and identifies variables related to different disposition outcomes. Four variables are significantly related to dispositional outcome: the inmate's age and marital status at admission, the inmate's overall disciplinary record, and the type of infraction charged. Although the findings varied across infraction categories, inmates who were young, never married, or had six or more infractions during the current sentence received more severe dispositions. The relationship between seriousness of the infraction and severity of disposition was significant but not strong enough to imply a scaling of penalties relative to the harm presented by the offender's conduct. Implications for future research are discussed. (Author abstract)