The impact of sentencing options on recidivism among domestic violence offenders: A case study

Convicting and incarcerating felony offenders of intimate assault and the odds of new assault charges

“…In other words, more severe sentences were not uniformly more effective for reducing subsequent violence. Results for jail sentences conflicted with the handful of previous studies that uncovered either similar or higher odds of subsequent violence for individuals who were incarcerated in jail versus other types of sentences (e.g., Davis et al, 1998;Gross et al, 2000;Wooldredge & Thistlethwaite, 2005).…”

“…Gross et al (2000) found no differences in rearrest likelihoods for defendants with jail sentences (suspended or nonsuspended) versus other outcomes including advisement only, private counseling, fines, and probation (see also Davis et al, 1998;Wooldredge & Thistlethwaite, 2005). Finally, as stated previously, published findings related to imprisonment effects on subsequent violence are nonexistent.…”

“…Researchers interested in possible links between case outcomes and domestic violence recidivism have examined the relative effects of diversions, nolles, dismissals, acquittals, convictions, batterer intervention programs, fines, probation, and jail sentences (e.g., Chen, Bersani, Myers, & Denton, 1989;Davis, Smith, & Nickles, 1998;Davis, Taylor, & Maxwell, 2000;DeMaris & Jackson, 1987;Dutton, 1986;Edelson & Grusznski, 1989;Fagan, 1989Fagan, , 1996Fagan, Friedman, Wexler, & Lewis, 1984;Feder & Dugan, 2002;Ford & Regoli, 1993;Gondolf, 1999;Gondolf & Williams, 2001;Gross et al, 2000;Hamberger & Hastings, 1988;Harrell, 1991;Healey, Smith, & O'Sullivan, 1998;Hirschel, Hutchinson, & Dean, 1992;Keilitz, Hannaford, & Efkeman, 1997;Mears, Carlson, Holden, & Harris, 2001;Murphy, Musser, & Maton, 1998;Palmer, Brown, & Barrera, 1992;Shepard, 1992;Steinman, 1990;Syers & Edleson, 1992;Tolman & Weiscz, 1995;Wallace & Seymour, 1999;Wolfe & Jaffe, 1999;Wooldredge & Thistlethwaite, 2005). This relatively large body of research focused primarily on batterer intervention programs and convictions, with little attention paid to incarceration.…”

Domestic violence treatment response and recidivism: A review and implications for the study of family violence

“…Murphy et al (1998) found that increasing contact with the intervention (legal) system resulted in lower rates of domestic violence recidivism. Gross et al (2000) and Mears et al (2001) found no effect of sentencing option on domestic violence recidivism. Given equivocal results of legal intervention, several suggestions have been made in the literature.…”

“…In Murphy et al (1998), no evidence was found to indicate that frequency and severity of prior assaults was related to recidivism. Studying a population of male domestic violence offenders who had been charged with misdemeanor offenses, Gross et al (2000) examined the effect of various sentencing options (e.g., advisement, other, community corrections, suspended sentence, and a jail sentence) on recidivism over a follow-up period of 18 to 24 months. None of the sentencing options were found to signifi cantly affect recidivism.…”