Are White-Collar Offenders Treated Differently at Sentencing: Contemporary Patterns in White-Collar Sentencing Practices

• In Event: Contemporary Trends in White-Collar and Corporate Crime Control Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine recent trends in the demographic composition and sentencing of white-collar offenders in Federal courts. Previous investigations using data from the 1970’s found that the demographics characteristics of white-collar offenders are significantly different than common criminals in terms of gender, race, age, and education, factors that sometimes influence sanctioning decisions. However, since the 1970s women and minorities have entered the workforce in greater numbers; hence, the demographic composition of the white-collar offending population may have changed. Using data collected by the U. S. Sentencing Commission this study (1) captures the demographics of contemporary white-collar offenders and (2) employs binary and OLS regression analysis to examine sentencing decisions regarding white-collar offenders, with key legal and extralegal factors controlled. Two major findings emerge. First, as Benson and Simpson (2014) theorized, the composition of white-collar offenders has indeed changed with women and minorities now constituting a larger proportion of convicted offenders. Second, white-collar criminals do not appear to be treated more leniently at sentencing; they may actually receive more severe sanctions than other types of offenders.

Author

• Charles Gilberti, University of Cincinnati