NCJ Number
101291
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1986) Pages: 47-62
Date Published
1986
Length
16 pages
Annotation
To examine the deterrent effect of longer sentences, a review was conducted of 15 studies published between 1973 and 1982.
Abstract
Of these, the majority were cross-sectional and conducted in the United States. Most of the reviewed studies provide evidence that supports the hypothesis that longer sentences deter most types of crime. Also, average estimates indicate that this effect is strongest for rape and assault and weakest for hijacking and fraud, with property crimes (burglary, larceny, robbery, and autotheft) and murder falling in between. This negative association between sentence severity and crime rate must, however, be considered tentative. None of the studies reviewed is totally devoid of such methodological problems as measurement error, confounding of deterrent with incapacitation effects, or difficulties associated with appropriately identifying the crime supply equation within a system of simultaneous equations. In addition, the evidence concerning the magnitude of the deterrent effect for various crimes is not uniform. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that criminals respond to incentives and that stronger sanctions do deter crime. Tables and 43 references.