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Full-Text Articles in Criminology
Sentencing Outcomes Of The Older Prison Population: An Exploration Of The Age Leniency Argument., Anita N. Blowers, Jill K. Doerner
Sentencing Outcomes Of The Older Prison Population: An Exploration Of The Age Leniency Argument., Anita N. Blowers, Jill K. Doerner
Jill K Doerner
Using data compiled by the United States Sentencing Commission, we examine whether defendants sentenced in US federal courts are shown leniency based on their age, paying particular attention to the outcomes of older defendants (age 50 and over). One way in which this research is unique is that it focuses exclusively on a sample of older offenders and makes more precise distinctions by separately examining three categories of ‘elderly’ offenders – the ‘young-old,’ the ‘middle-old,’ and the ‘oldestold.’ Consistent with prior research, our findings indicate an age leniency effect where younger defendants (the ‘young-old’) had the highest odds and older …
Gender Disparities In Sentencing Departures: An Examination Of U.S. Federal Courts, Jill K. Doerner
Gender Disparities In Sentencing Departures: An Examination Of U.S. Federal Courts, Jill K. Doerner
Jill K Doerner
Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission, the present study examines the role of guideline departures in the sentencing of male and female defendants in federal courts. Findings indicate that female defendants continue to have lower odds of incarceration and to receive shorter sentence length terms, even after legal, extralegal, and contextual factors are controlled. The largest gender difference in the odds of incarceration was found for defendants who received substantial assistance departures, while male and female defendants in this same category were given the most similar sentence lengths. When departure status was examined as a dependent variable, it …
Gender And Sentencing In The Federal Courts: Are Women Treated More Leniently?, Jill K. Doerner, Stephen Demuth
Gender And Sentencing In The Federal Courts: Are Women Treated More Leniently?, Jill K. Doerner, Stephen Demuth
Jill K Doerner
Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission (2001-2003), we examine the role of gender in the sentencing of defendants in federal courts. We address two questions: First, can we explain the gender gap in sentencing by taking into account differences in legal and extralegal factors? And second, do legal and extralegal factors have the same impact for male and female defendants? Overall, we find that female defendants receive more lenient sentence outcomes than their male counterparts. Legal factors account for a large portion of the gender differences, but even after controlling for legal characteristics a substantial gap in sentencing …
The Independent And Joint Effects Of Race/Ethnicity, Gender And Age On Sentencing Outcomes In U.S. Federal Courts, Jill K. Doerner, Stephen Demuth
The Independent And Joint Effects Of Race/Ethnicity, Gender And Age On Sentencing Outcomes In U.S. Federal Courts, Jill K. Doerner, Stephen Demuth
Jill K Doerner
Using data compiled by the United States Sentencing Commission, we examine the independent and joint effects of race/ethnicity, gender, and age on sentencing decisions in U.S. federal courts. We find that Hispanics and blacks, males, and younger defendants receive harsher sentences than whites, females, and older defendants after controlling for important legal and contextual factors. When these effects are examined in combination, young Hispanic male defendants have the highest odds of incarceration and young black male defendants receive the longest sentences. The findings show considerable variation in the sentencing outcomes of defendants depending on their relative social-structural position in society, …