Criminology Commons^™

Boys Will Be Boys: A Social Control Approach To Assessment Of Gender-Based Sentencing Disparity In Norfolk Circuit Court Cases, Fay F. Spence

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study evaluated the relationship between gender and sentencing severity for defendants convicted of violent crimes, victimless crimes, and theft crimes in Norfolk Circuit Court during 2001 and 2002. Based upon social control theories, the author hypothesized that women receive harsher penalties than men for violent crimes and victimless crimes, but that men receive harsher penalties for theft crimes. To test these hypotheses, the author relied, in part, upon data collected by the Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney's office on 3368 criminal cases filed in 2001 and concluded by May 22, 2002. After eliminating cases not pertinent to the study, the data …

An Evaluation Of Washington State's First-Time Offender Waiver (Ftow), Marianne Galgon

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Considering the current staggering number of people under various forms of government supervision, reducing recidivism is a serious concern of the criminal justice system. A possible solution to this problem may lie in intensive supervision programs (ISPs) that were implemented in every state by 1990. This thesis evaluates Washington State's First-Time Offender Waiver (FTOW) to determine whether it is a viable alternative to prison for eligible nonviolent offenders. Specifically, I want to know: (1) Is there is a bias in who is sentenced with FTOW based on demographic variables? (2) Do FTOW recipients recidivate more or less compared to eligible …

Victimless Crime: A Comparison Of Public Offense Ratings Of Misdemeanor Offenses And Virginia Sentencing Guidelines, Theresa M. Dutton

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the hypothesized gap between what state guidelines on criminal sanctioning recommend for misdemeanor offenses, and what the public perceives· as just punishment for these offenses. The research also addresses the issue of victimless crime. In this regard it was additionally hypothesized that there exists a significant difference in public opinion towards sentencing those crimes that specifically do not have a victim, with those that do.

The design of this study is based on one conducted by Peter Rossi and Richard Berk (Rossi and Berk 1997). For this study, a sample of students attending college …

Social Disorganization Theory The Effect Of Social And Economic Factors On Crime And Delinquency, Tonya G. Anderson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate which social and economic factors impact juvenile arrest rates and crime rates. In addition this study hopes to lend support to Shaw and McKay's (1942) theory of social disorganization. A large body of research exists on this topic. Scholars have analyzed and debated the validity and strength of the relationship between social disorganization indicators (unemployment, poverty, welfare dependency, single female-headed households, and changes in an areas population size) and increased delinquency and crime. This study will add to existing literature by providing a measure for juvenile crime that focuses on specific offenses. …