Impacts of Sentencing Reforms on Prisons and Crime Rates

• NCJ Number: 139459
• Author(s): T B Marvell; C E Moody Jr
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 40 pages
• Grant Number(s): 88-IJ-CX-0045
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis

Annotation

In the 1970's and early 1980's, 20 States abandoned indeterminate sentencing and adopted presumptive sentencing, determinate sentencing, or sentencing guidelines designed to reduce punishment uncertainty.

Abstract

Research concerning these reforms has concentrated on their immediate goal of reducing sentence disparity. The current research was conducted to evaluate the impact of sentencing reforms on prisons and crime rates. A pooled time series-cross section design was used that incorporated data for each State during the 1970's and 1980's. It was found that, in most instances, sentencing reforms had little impact on the prison population, the number of prison admissions, or prison terms. A few laws, however, were followed by significant changes, especially reduced prison population growth in sentencing guideline States (Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington). Even less evidence was found to show that sentencing reforms affected crime rates, and there was little indication that sentencing laws had a significant deterrent impact. The authors conclude that differences between sentencing laws and their settings differ from State to State and that the impact of sentencing reforms varies greatly. 44 references and 9 tables