No Reason to be Good? Examining the Relationship between Determinate Sentencing and Misconduct Over Time

• In Event: Factors Shaping Incarceration and Reentry Experiences

Abstract

Harsh sentencing practices beginning in the 1980s have been cited as one of the leading causes of the massive expansion of the U.S. prison population. Further, the “get tough” movement and war on drugs disproportionately affected African Americans and females. As such, there was a substantial increase of the numbers of both groups within the prison population. To date, there is limited research examining the impact of determinate sentencing on inmate behavior during incarceration. Some scholars have suggested that the shift to determinate sentencing (i.e., elimination of early release) removed any incentive for inmates to abide by the rules. Thus, the current study examines whether being sentenced during the determinate sentencing era increased the likelihood of inmates engaging in misconduct among a nationally representative sample of inmates (Survey of State Inmate 1979-2004) across five survey periods. Findings suggest that determinate sentencing decreased the likelihood of misconduct compared to indeterminate sentencing.

Author

• Jane C. Daquin, University of Alabama