NCJ Number
129134
Date Published
1987
Length
52 pages
Annotation
Information from six magistrates' courts in England and Wales formed the basis of an analysis of the relationship between sentencing decisions and information on offender employment, offending, and criminal history.
Abstract
Data were collected through reviews of records, observations from March 1985 to May 1986, and interviews with court personnel. The analysis also used data on local unemployment rates for 1974-84, court sentencing for 1979-83, and population data together with maps of local administrative boundaries. Results showed that the amounts or lengths of sentences did not differ with employment status, except for financial penalties. Unemployed offenders were less often fined than other offenders with some being conditionally discharged and others being incarcerated. In addition, financial penalties were modified for people on low incomes, but often not by much, especially in traffic cases and other specific cases. Moreover, probation officers are no longer expected to find jobs for offenders. Furthermore, courts want to extend the system of community service orders and eliminate its link with custodial sentences. Changes in sentencing practices and procedures are recommended. Tables, figures, and 31 references