NCJ Number
67867
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTHS IN MISSISSIPPI, COMPUTED IN THREE EARLIER REPORTS, ARE COMPILED IN THIS REVIEW.
Abstract
IN THE FIRST REPORT, THE AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH FOR ALL OFFENDERS COMMITTED IN 1977 (884) AND 1978 (810) WAS DETERMINED. EXCLUDING LIFE AND DEATH SENTENCES, THE AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH FOR 1977 WAS 8.1 YEARS, AND FOR 1978 5.6 YEARS. FOR THE SECOND REPORT, THE AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH WAS COMPUTED FOR PRISONERS RELEASED FROM JULY TO DECEMBER 1978. OFFENDERS WITH SENTENCES FOR MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF OFFENSE WERE EXCLUDED, AND 11 LIFE SENTENCES, VALUED AT 50 YEARS, WERE INCLUDED. EXCLUDING THE LIFE SENTENCES, THE AVERAGE LENGTH FOR THE 480 SUBJECTS WAS 4.8 YEARS; AND INCLUDING LIFE SENTENCES, THE AVERAGE FOR 491 OFFENDERS WAS 5.8 YEARS. THE THIRD REPORT CALCULATED THE AVERAGE LENGTHS FOR BLACK ARMED ROBBERS UNDER 25 YEARS OF AGE AND FOR ALL ACTIVE INMATE RECORDS ON COMPUTER IN 1979, WITH LIFE SENTENCES VALUED AT 50 YEARS. FOR THE 283 ARMED ROBBERS, THE AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH WAS 14.5 YEARS (13.4 YEARS EXCLUDING THE NINE LIFE SENTENCES), AND FOR THE TOTAL POPULATION OF 2,536, IT WAS 15.9 YEARS (10.7 YEARS EXCLUDING THE 329 LIFE SENTENCES). ALTHOUGH A TREND TOWARDS SHORTER SENTENCES SEEMS TO BE INDICATED, NOT ENOUGH DATA IS AVAILABLE ON PAST YEARS TO ESTABLISH THIS AS DEFINITIVE. NO TABLES, FOOTNOTES, REFERENCES, OR DETAILED DATA ANALYSES ARE PROVIDED.