Gender and Imprisonment Decisions

Abstract

Guidelines sentencing data from Pennsylvania for the years 1985–1987 are analyzed to assess the influence of gender on judges' imprisonment decisions. These data provide detailed information on offense severity and prior record, permit statistical controls for other variables thought to affect imprisonment decisions, cover a fairly comprehensive list of common‐law offenses (with adequate sample size), and contain judges' dispositional‐departure reasons for sentences outside the guidelines schema. The data—analyzed with additive and interactive models–indicate that gender (net of other factors) has a small effect on the likelihood of imprisonment toward lesser jailing of female defendants but has a negligible effect on the length‐of‐imprisonment decision. Observations and interview responses from selected judges help to clarify the ways in which judges' sentencing practices are gender linked. Together, the statistical and the qualitative data suggest that the sentencing practices of judges are driven by two main concerns, blameworthiness (e.g., as indicated by prior record, type of involvement, remorse) and practicality (e.g., as indicated by child‐care responsibility, pregnancy, emotional or physical problems, availability of adequate jail space). Based on our findings, we suspect that when men and women appear in (contemporary) criminal court in similar circumstances and are charged with similar offenses, they receive similar treatment. A major question from a policy perspective is, when gender disparities in sentence outcomes do arise, are the disparities warranted or unwarranted?

Status, emotional displays, and the relationally-based evaluation of criminals and their behavior

“…Empirical research has confirmed that these social characteristics do indeed affect evaluations of offender dangerousness and offense severity (Albonetti 1991(Albonetti , 1997Bridges and Crutchfield 1988;Bridges and Steen 1998;Fearn 2005;Kautt 2009b;Kramer and Steffensmeier 1993;Moore and Miethe 1986;Steffensmeier and Demuth 2000;Steffensmeier, Ulmer and Kramer 1998;Zatz 1984). But social structure, particularly in small groups, is not determined solely by an individual's own characteristics but rather those characteristics relative to the characteristics of others (Berger and Webster 2006).…”

“…We conclude by discussing our findings in the larger context of applying sociological accounts of status and emotion to the sentencing literature and show how these literatures are jointly instructive in improving our understanding of the mechanisms that affect the criminal adjudication process. Steffensmeier et al (1998) argue that judges consider three focal concerns when making sentencing decisions: blameworthiness, community protection, and practical constraints (see also Spohn and Holleran 2000;Steffensmeier 1980;Steffensmeier and Demuth 2001;Steffensmeier et al 1993;Ulmer 1997;Ulmer and Johnson 2004).…”

“…Racial stereotypes linking race and ethnicity to criminality find that minority defendants are perceived as more dangerous, threatening and culpable than white defendants (Albonetti 1991(Albonetti , 1997Bridges and Crutchfield 1988;Bridges and Steen 1998;Farrell and Swigert 1978;Freiburger et al 2010;Kramer and Steffensmeier 1993;Miethe and Moore 1986;Steffensmeier and Demuth 2000;Steffensmeier et al 1998;Zatz 1984Zatz , 1985. Similarly, those individuals evaluated as committing the most serious crimes are more likely to be non-white Spohn, Gruhl and Welch 1981-82).…”

Décisions policières sous la Loi sur le système de justice pénale pour les adolescents. L’influence du sexe et de l’apparence ethnique1

“…Autrement dit, les juges seraient plus sévères envers les jeunes hommes noirs parce que 1) ils croient que leurs délits sont plus graves et requièrent une plus grande sévérité, 2) ils croient que leurs chances de récidiver sont plus grandes et agissent donc afi n de protéger la communauté et 3) ils croient qu'ils sont mieux préparés pour confronter une sentence sévère. Ces observations sont appuyées par des données qualitatives que les auteurs ont recueillies dans le cadre d'un projet complémentaire (Steffensmeier et al, 1993).…”

An intersectional approach to race/ethnicity, sex, and age disparity in federal sentencing outcomes: An examination of policy across time periods

“…A number of studies have suggested that extra-legal variables are not independent (Doerner and Demuth, 2010;Steffensmeier et al, 1993, Steffensmeier et al, 1998. That is, it is not enough to simply look at race/ethnicity, gender, and age in isolation.…”