Effective Use of Federal Sentencing Data

• In Event: Effective Use of Federal Sentencing Data

Abstract

The Commission makes available to the public through its website ICPSR and BJS, datasets on federal sentencings within each fiscal year. Commission staff will provide a brief overview of the agency, data collection methodology, the guideline application process, the interaction of the sentencing guidelines and applicable statutory mandatory minimums, an overview of the drug trafficking and fraud guidelines, and essential tips for multivariate analysis using Commission data. The complexity of the federal sentencing guidelines, and by extension, federal sentencing data often results in researchers’ incorrect use of the data. Common mistakes include the selection of unsuitable variables for analysis, failure to control for crucial guideline-related matters (e.g., drug type), and recognition of multicollinearity among guideline variables. The panel will highlight these issues in order to caution analysts of common pitfalls using of Commission data.

Author

• Lou Reedt, U.S. Sentencing Commission