GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS IN FEDERAL SENTENCING PATTERNS UTILIZATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE STATISTICS PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 36885
• Author(s): L P SUTTON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 107 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-SS-99-6006
• Sponsoring Agency: National Criminal Justice Information & Statistics Service
• Corporate Author: Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Ctr
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIRD IN A FOUR-PART SERIES ON FEDERAL CRIMINAL SENTENCING, THIS ANALYTICAL MONOGRAPH EXPLORES THE NATURE OF AND EXTENT TO WHICH SENTENCES AND SENTENCING PATTERNS VARY FROM ONE JURISDICTION TO THE NEXT.

Abstract

IN THE SECOND MONOGRAPH, NCJ-36884, IT WAS FOUND THAT NATIONAL SENTENCING PATTERNS VARIED IN SOME IMPORTANT RESPECTS FOR THE DIFFERENT OFFENSE GROUPS STUDIED. THIS MONOGRAPH ATTEMPTS TO ASSESS HOW WELL THOSE AGGREGATE AND OFFENSE-SPECIFIC PATTERNS OBSERVED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL HOLD FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUIT AND DISTRICT JURISDICTIONS. VARIATIONS IN BOTH SENTENCING AND SENTENCING PATTERNS ARE ANALYZED USING STEP-WISE MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS, A TECHNIQUE WHICH EXPLORES THE MULTIVARIATE RELATION AMONG A VARIETY OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES (PREDICTORS) AND A SINGLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE, SUCH AS SENTENCE WEIGHT, SENTENCE LENGTH, OR SENTENCE TYPE. THE INDEPENDENT OR PREDICTOR VARIABLES ON WHICH THIS ANALYSIS IS BASED ARE OF FOUR KINDS - THOSE RELATING TO THE OFFENSE, THE OFFENDER, THE MANNER OF HIS DISPOSITION, AND THE WORKLOAD OF THE JUDICIAL DISTRICT IN WHICH HE WAS CONVICTED. THE FOCAL JURISDICTIONS FOR THE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED SIX DISTRICTS, (REPRESENTING FOUR GEOGRAPHIC AREAS) AND FIVE CIRCUITS (THE SECOND, FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND NINTH). STUDY FINDINGS REVEALED THAT SENTENCING POLICY DOES VARY ACROSS JURISDICTION, THAT PREDICTABILITY WAS GENERALLY HIGH AT THE AGGREGATE LEVEL, AND THAT THE PROPORTION OF SENTENCE VARIATION EXPLAINED WAS HIGHEST IN THE MIDWEST AND LOWEST IN THE NORTHEAST. THE DISCREPANCY ACROSS INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS IN THE PROPORTION OF VARIANCE EXPLAINED WAS CONSIDERABLY GREATER, ALTHOUGH BASICALLY COMPARABLE TO THAT EXHIBITED AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL. ACROSS THE VARIOUS OFFENSE GROUPS, THE EXTENT OF GEOGRAPHIC VARIABILITY WAS EVEN GREATER AT BOTH CIRCUIT AND DISTRICT LEVELS. BRIEF EXPLANATIONS OF THE 23 INDEPENDENT VARIABLES USED IN THE ANALYSIS ARE APPENDED. FOR THE OTHER MONOGRAPHS IN THE SERIES, SEE NCJ-36883, 84, AND 86. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)