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Custody Decisions for Property Offenders in the Crown Court

NCJ Number
132253
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1991) Pages: 207-217
Author(s)
C Hedderman
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The sentences received by a sample of 619 offenders in Britain convicted of charges related to theft, handling, and fraud were analyzed to determine the factors influencing the use of custody as a sentence.
Abstract
The results suggest that the decision to use custody was affected by a number of factors which fit the just deserts approach to sentencing including the amount of offending measured by the number of current charges, the value involved, and the extent of the individual's involvement in the crime. However, the evidence also indicates that sentencers are influenced by the defendant's sex and remand status. The author urges the courts to persevere with community based corrections even when they are breached, in the same way that they persevere with the use of custody even when it fails to deter crime. 3 tables, 4 notes, and 16 references (Author abstract modified)