A Pre-implementation Process Evaluation of Pennsylvania’s Sentencing Guidelines Overhaul

• In Event: Lessons from Sentencing Reforms and Community-Based Court Programs

Abstract

Pennsylvania recently redesigned its sentencing guidelines with the goals of increasing fairness and consistency and reducing racial and ethnic disparities. Little is known, however, about how state-level policy comes to be. This study is a pre-implementation process evaluation of Pennsylvania’s new (8th edition) sentencing guidelines and includes data from a qualitative analysis of secondary documentation, 10 semi-structured stakeholder interviews, and over 50 hours of transcripts from Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing meetings. The results provide transferable knowledge for other jurisdictions looking to make sweeping sentencing policy reforms by highlighting 1) the many stakeholders who were involved during the ten-year revision process, 2) the data and activities that informed this process, and 3) the most significant changes to the major components of the guideline matrix (e.g., Offense Gravity Score and Prior Record Score). Importantly, the study also explores in detail stakeholders’ justifications and intent behind the adopted changes, which are then compared to well-established, evidence-informed guidance on increasing fairness in sentencing (e.g., Model Penal Code: Sentencing). The presentation will conclude by demonstrating how the results of this study will inform elements of the post-implementation process evaluation and eventual outcome evaluation, providing an example of an implementation science-informed strategy to policy evaluation.

Authors

• Clare Strange, Drexel University

• Abryana Kevelier-Williams, American University

• Lourdes Moore, Drexel University