Bail as a Proxy for Dangerousness? An Exploration of Bail as Applied to Sex Offenders

• In Event: Advances in Sex Offense Policy Research: Sex Offender Sentencing

Abstract

This exploratory study seeks to understand how criminal justice system responses to sex offenses differ, particularly by examining the use of bail. Using Harris County court data spanning from 1977-2012, this study first looks at how the use of bail has changed over time for various sex offenses. Next we explore the relationships between bail and various offense and offender characteristics to better understand whether bail amounts (or whether bail is offered at all) serve as a proxy for offender dangerousness or whether bail amounts have ultimately been based on other factors in these cases.

Authors

• Christopher Bruell, Saint Anselm College

• Rebecca Pfeffer, University of Houston - Downtown