Race and Gender Differences Under Federal Sentencing Guidelines

Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission, we examine how judicial biases may have influenced sentences during the era of the Federal criminal sentencing guidelines. Our utility maximization model of judicial sentencing preferences leads to a partially censored ordered probit model tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American economic review 2012-05, Vol.102 (3), p.256-260
Main Authors: Sorensen, Todd, Sarnikar, Supriya, Oaxaca, Ronald L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Black people
CRIME AND TERRORISM
Criminal histories
Criminal justice
Criminal offenses
Criminal pleas
Criminal sentences
Criminal sentencing
Economics
Electronic mail systems
Gender bias
Gender differences
Gender differentiation
Gender studies
Men
Race
Racial differentiation
Sentencing guidelines
State laws
U.S.A
Utilities costs
Utility maximization
Variables
White people
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Summary:Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission, we examine how judicial biases may have influenced sentences during the era of the Federal criminal sentencing guidelines. Our utility maximization model of judicial sentencing preferences leads to a partially censored ordered probit model that accounts for mass points in the sentencing distribution that occur at the upper and lower guideline limits and at sentences involving no prison time. Our results indicate that racial- and gender-based discrepancies exist, even after controlling for circumstances such as the severity of the offense and past criminal history. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0002-8282
1944-7981
DOI:10.1257/aer.102.3.256