NCJ Number
95224
Date Published
1982
Length
147 pages
Annotation
A review of the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of adults arrested for Part I offenses in the city and county of Honolulu used both a manual system and the Offender-Based Transaction Statistics (OBTS) system to examine arrest data and dispositions at the law enforcement, prosecutor, and circuit and district court levels.
Abstract
Six arrestee characteristics -- sex, age, employment, marital status, education, and occupation -- increased the probability of being charged with robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft, or violent crime. Only two crimes appeared to be significantly affected by race -larceny and violent crimes. Whites and Chinese were more likely to be arrested for larceny, while Hawaiians, blacks, and Samoans were less likely to be arrested for larceny. Whites, Chinese, and Japanese were less likely to be arrested for violent crimes, while Samoans were more likely to be arrested for such crimes. Arrest charge and the prior arrest and conviction record significantly influenced the probabilities of the various dispositions. For example, individuals arrested on charges of murder, robbery, burglary, or larceny-theft were less likely to be released with no charge than those arrested for rape, aggravated assault, or motor vehicle theft. The probability of release prior to further investigation increased with the number of prior arrests but decreased with the number of prior convictions. The decision to prosecute was made in 99 percent of cases referred to the prosecutor's office. For the three property crimes (burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft), the arrest charge was the major determinant of the prosecutor's charge. Arrest charges of murder, rape, or robbery did not appear to be downgraded at the prosecutor's level, while prosecutors did appear to upgrade an arrest charge of assault to murder or robbery. The effects of arrest data and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics on arraignment and plea bargaining pretrial dispositions, trial outcomes, and sentencing at both the circuit and district court levels are reported. Extensive tabular data, the probit analysis, an outline of criminal justice agency dispositions, and an 11-item bibliography are provided.