NCJ Number
108473
Date Published
1987
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This keynote address of the 1987 conference on "Presiding in Criminal Court" discusses the tension between the objectives of sociological research and those of case decisionmaking involving individual offenders.
Abstract
Sociological studies focus on behavioral patterns determined from group studies. Such studies have determined, for example, that a minority of offenders commits a disproportionate amount of crime. Judicial discretion aims to determine, for sentencing purposes, which individual offenders are likely to persist in committing crimes. Sociological longitudinal studies can determine the characteristics of groups of offenders who continue criminal behavior over time. Research indicates that such data are better predictors of criminal behavior than clinical data based on analyses of individuals. Social science research can also reveal patterns in judicial decisionmaking over time. Such research has shown a bias against blacks, such that blacks receive more severe sentences for crimes similar to those committed by whites. Studies show, however, that blackness is not a significant factor in predicting a chronic criminal career. The use of sociological data to select sentences could help reduce bias in sentencing. Comparative sociological studies could also help determine the effectiveness of interventions and identify factors contributing to crime.