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Adjudication of Rape Since Reforms: Examining the Probability of Conviction and Incarceration at the National and Three State Levels

NCJ Number
155475
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1992) Pages: 342-358
Author(s)
R Bachman; P Smith
Date Published
1992
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper examines trends in the criminal justice system's handling of rape cases since the implementation of rape law reforms nationally and in California, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Abstract
While previous research is equivocal about the instrumental effects of rape law reforms, this study documents the usefulness of more refined methodologies to address the handling of rape cases. The study includes more refined dependent measures of rape (age and gender specific), equivalent trends for robbery to control for extraneous factors that may increase adjudication outcomes for all violent crimes, and more liberally defined time periods. The inclusion of longer time periods is particularly important since original statutes in most States have undergone extensive interpretation based on recent appellate court decisions. The methodological reformulations indicate that rape conviction rates increased over and above increases observed for robbery in California, New York, and Pennsylvania. While incarceration rates also increased in all States for rape, only in Pennsylvania and at the national level did the rate increases exceed those observed for robbery. The research demonstrates the importance of using more refined measures and methodologies with which to examine trends in rape adjudication since rape law reforms. 23 references, 10 notes, and 7 figures

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