U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Comparing Disciplinary Infraction Rates of North Carolina Fair Sentencing and Structured Sentencing Inmates: A Natural Experiment

NCJ Number
186410
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 79 Issue: 1 Dated: March 1999 Pages: 45-71
Author(s)
John M. Memory; Guang Guo; Ken Parker; Tom Sutton
Date Published
March 1999
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Using data collected from June 1, 1995, to August 30, 1996, this study compared the disciplinary conviction rates of North Carolina prison inmates admitted during the study period before the truth-in-sentencing law and inmates admitted during the period under the truth-in-sentencing law.
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to determine whether North Carolina's 1994 Structured Sentencing Act (SSA), which eliminated parole eligibility and time off for good behavior, was resulting in notably high levels of problematic behavior of inmates sentenced under that law. To have a ratio-scale measurement of the seriousness of each of 43 disciplinary offenses, the study surveyed 88 North Carolina prison superintendents and 27 higher level administrators. The 88 responding participants rated the seriousness of the 43 offenses on a 50-point Seriousness scale. Because the natural experimental design allowed causal analysis, the Cox regression risk ratios and binomial regression exponentiated coefficients presented differences that can, to a substantial extent, be attributed to implementation of structured sentencing and not just to differences in the types of people incarcerated under fair sentencing and structured sentencing. Findings showed that inmate disciplinary enforcement activity increased substantially in the Division of Prisons since the implementation of the SSA. Interviewed prison workers generally agreed that SSA inmates were more difficult to control and commit more disciplinary infractions than other inmates. Some implications of these findings are discussed. 2 tables and 28 references