Registry of Randomized Criminal Justice Experiments in Sanctions

• NCJ Number: 129725
• Author(s): D Weisburd; L Sherman; A J Petrosino
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 79 pages
• Grant Number(s): 88-IJ-CX-0007
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Reference Material

Annotation

This document lists and describes experimental studies of criminal justice sanctions including arrests, probation, parole, and criminal justice treatments added to traditional sanctions.

Abstract

The registry was developed to provide a comprehensive view of the methods and problems that have dominated experimental research in this area and attempts to include all experiments that could be located through English-language publications. All the experiments included coercive conditions, but cases are noted in which participants could refuse a less harsh condition. Each entry in the registry lists articles and reviews in which the experiment is reported or discussed, briefly describes the program evaluated and the basic research findings, and major methodological flaws. The experiments are grouped into three categories: (1) those comparing a sanction with no sanction, (2) those measuring the effects of various sanctions that are difficult to rank in terms of severity, and (3) those that measure the effects of coercive treatments that are added to traditional sanctions. List of criteria for inclusion