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Probation Officer Recommendations for Sentencing Relative to Judicial Practice: The Implications for African Americans

NCJ Number
236041
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 301-329
Author(s)
Michael Leiber Ph.D.; John Reitzel Ph.D.; Kristin Mack Ph.D.
Date Published
September 2011
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This study examined probation officer recommendation for sentencing.
Abstract
A number of studies have been conducted that assess the role of the prosecutor on judicial decisionmaking in regard to the differential treatment African-Americans may receive relative to Whites. Missing from this inquiry has been consideration of the influence that probation officers may have on this process. In the present study, the focal concerns perspective and prior research are used as background to understand the concordance between probation officer sentencing recommendations and decisionmaking by judges and the extent to which this relationship may be tempered by the race of the offender. (Published Abstract)