Testing Victim Satisfaction in Out-of-court Disposals Compared to Court Prosecution: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• In Event: Victims' Rights and Remedies

Abstract

A range of out-of-court disposals have shown promise in reducing reoffending and criminal justice costs. There has heretofore been a lack of rigorous evidence showing that victims are at least as satisfied with their cases being handled out of court as in court, although some existing supporting evidence is promising. The current study compares the satisfaction of victims by randomly assigning the offenders in their cases either to a police-led diversionary alternative or to court prosecution. The sample includes people who were victims of low-level offenders without multiple previous convictions; these offenders would normally go to court, but would not typically receive a custodial sentence. Results of the study will be presented, as well as findings involving varying levels of victim satisfaction associated with different approaches to police interactions with victims.

Authors

• Molly Slothower, University of Maryland

• Thomas Joyce, West Midlands Police

• Heather Strang, Cambridge University