The Effect of Victim Impact Statements on Sentence Severity: An Assessment of the Evidence

• In Event: Factors Influencing Sentencing Decisions

Abstract

The use of victim impact statements (VISs) has been a controversial topic within the criminal justice system. VISs are intended to illustrate the crime’s effects on the victim or his/her family, and may also include recommendations as to the type or intensity of punishment to be imposed on the offender. Though a major purpose of VISs is to offer victims the opportunity to have their voices heard within the trial context, there is concern that such testimony may be overly inflammatory, may introduce arbitrariness into sentencing process, and may have a severity-increasing effect on juror decision-making. A growing body of experimental research has examined the VIS-and-sentence-severity link; however, these studies have produced inconsistent results. Accordingly, in the present study, this literature is subjected to a meta-analysis to determine the overall mean effect size, and how stable/robust effect sizes are to methodological and substantive variations across studies (e.g., different kinds of samples, degree of realism in study conditions). Results of the study, as well as implications for research and policy, will be discussed.

Author

• Miltonette Olivia Craig, Florida State University