NCJ Number
105892
Journal
Social Science Research Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (1985) Pages: 103-125
Date Published
1985
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study models the transition rate from arrest to disposition as a function of suspect legal and extralegal characteristics and the characteristics of communities in which the case is processed.
Abstract
Dynamic modeling techniques developed by Tuma (1976) were applied to longitudinal data collected on over 10,000 criminal events in California cities from 1977-79 and used to model transition rates from arrest to case disposition resulting from police release, prosecutor denial of complaint, or going to court. As predicted by Hawley, city size significantly affected case processing. In larger cities, habitual offenders were processed more slowly than nonhabitual offenders, and each successive police processing of habitual offenders resulted in slower transition rates relative to nonhabitual offenders. In smaller cities black suspects were processed more quickly than whites, and each successive police processing of blacks resulted in faster transition rates relative to whites. The slower processing of habitual offenders in large cities results from careful police evidence collection, and the rapid processing of blacks in small cities results from racial stereotyping and the police harassment of minorities. 2 tables and 35 references. (Author abstract modified)