RACIAL IDENTITY, LENGTH OF INCARCERATION, AND PAROLE DECISION MAKING

• NCJ Number: 61519
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (JULY 1979) Pages: 232-245
• Author(s): V H ELION; E I MEGARGEE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH 18468; MH13202; MH 2911; 75-AS-33-4401
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

ENTRY SENTENCE, RATHER THAN RACE, WAS SHOWN TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH DECISIONS TO GRANT PAROLE IN THIS STUDY OF BLACK-WHITE SENTENCE PATTERNS AT A FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION.

Abstract

DATA FROM 1,345 INMATES AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, TALLAHASSEE, FL., WERE COLLECTED OVER 4 YEARS (1970-74). A MAJORITY (78 PERCENT) WERE FROM THE 7 MOST SOUTHEASTERN STATES; 64 PERCENT WERE WHITE, 35 PERCENT BLACK, AND 1 PERCENT, LARGELY AMERICAN INDIAN, WERE 'OTHER.' MEAN AGE WAS 22.5 YEARS WITH A RANGE OF 18-30 AND STANDARD DEVIATION OF 2.5 YEARS. THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE SERVED WAS 48 MONTHS, BUT MOST INMATES SERVED LESS THAN 18. SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS: PAROLED BLACKS, PAROLED WHITES, NONPAROLED BLACKS, AND NONPAROLED WHITES. RESEARCH SCALES, BASED ON EACH INMATE'S PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORT (PSI) WERE CONSTRUCTED, TO REPRESENT THREE MAIN CLUSTERS OF VARIABLES THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED LEGITIMATELY IN SENTENCE AND PAROLE VARIATIONS: (1) LEGAL FACTORS, (2) PERSONAL AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT FACTORS, AND (3) INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT FACTORS. TWO BASIC QUESTIONS WERE ASKED: WERE THERE SIGNIFICANT RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN ACTUAL SENTENCE OUTCOME? AND WERE THE SAME FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PAROLE DECISIONS FOR BLACKS AND WHITES? AMONG THE FINDINGS WERE (1) THAT ALTHOUGH BLACKS AND WHITES DID NOT DIFFER IN THE ACTUAL TIME SERVED, BLACKS SERVED A LARGER AMOUNT OF THEIR ENTRY SENTENCE; (2) ENTRY SENTENCE WAS THE PRIMARY DETERMINANT IN THE DECISION TO GRANT PAROLE ALONG WITH SUCH FACTORS AS ADULT MALADJUSTMENT AND DEVIANCE, VIOLENCE OF OFFENSE, DISCIPLINARY REPORT RATE, AND JUVENILE CONVICTION RECORD; (3) ADJUSTMENT PLAYED A MORE IMPORTANT ROLE FOR BLACK INMATES, WHILE PERSONAL AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT BEFORE PRISON APPEARED MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN PAROLE DECISIONS FOR WHITE INMATES. FURTHER RESEARCH MAY CLARIFY THE ROLE OF RACE AS A 'SURROGATE VARIABLE' IN A COMPLEX INTERACTION BETWEEN SOCIAL DEFICITS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DECISIONMAKING. FIVE STATISTICAL TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AOP)