Minding the Gap: An Evaluation of Sentencing Disparities in the Absence of Sentencing Guidelines

• In Event: Race and Gender Disparities in Sentencing

Abstract

Sentencing research has a long-standing tradition of evaluating unwarranted sentencing disparities in state court systems. However, the research has generally been limited to assessments of a few select states that capture only a limited range of extralegal offender characteristics thought to impact sentencing. The present study attempts to address these limitations by using new data from a Northeastern state without sentencing guidelines to investigate the effects of offender characteristics on sentencing outcomes and recidivism. The availability of risk and needs subscores measured by the Level of Service Inventory-Revised risk assessment instrument in this dataset allows for the inclusion of a wide range of unique defendant characteristics related to financial stability, education and employment, substance abuse, family, companions, recreational activities, emotions, attitudes, and orientations in models predicting both sentencing and subsequent recidivism.

Author

• Rebecca Richardson, University of Maryland