Examining Misdemeanor Processing in Rural Mississippi:  Lessons Learned from a Leadership Council

• In Event: Enforcement of Lower-Level Offenses in the United States: Findings from the Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice, Part II

Abstract

Despite the vast amount of media attention given to violent crime control in the United States, the vast majority of cases handled by any police department are misdemeanors.  Scant research has examined the processing of misdemeanors by police departments and almost no research exists examining processing of misdemeanors by rural police departments.  Using two years of data from a rural police department in Mississippi, we explore how cases are handled by police, the courts, and, in some cases, corrections.  Preliminary evidence suggests that many cases are handled informally.  Furthermore, those handled formally are rarely handled consistently and their processing depends on a variety of factors, including offender characteristics (e.g., gender, race, age, out of town address).  Implications for policy and research are also discussed.

Authors

• Amanda Cook, Mississippi State University - Meridian

• David May, Mississippi State University