NCJ Number
68069
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY COMPARED AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH OF ALL OFFENDERS, FIRST OFFENDERS, AND RECIDIVISTS COMMITTED TO MISSISSIPPI PRISONS IN 1977 AND 1978 TO DETERMINE WHETHER SENTENCE LENGTHS WERE INCREASING, DECREASING, OR CONSTANT.
Abstract
A SAMPLE OF 884 COMMITMENTS IN 1977 AND 810 COMMITMENTS IN 1978 WAS DRAWN FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS' SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT COMPUTER FILES, INCLUDING ALL PRISONERS HELD IN COUNTY JAILS. THE AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH OF ALL OFFENDERS IN 1977 WAS 8.1 YEARS AS COMPARED WITH 5.6 YEARS IN 1978, A DECREASE OF 2.5 YEARS. THE STUDY REVEALED THAT RECIDIVISTS WERE SENTENCED APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS LONGER THAN FIRST OFFENDERS IN 1977. THIS FIGURE INCREASED IN 1978 WITH RECIDIVISTS RECEIVING AN AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS LONGER THAN FIRST OFFENDERS. OFFENDERS WITH LIFE AND DEATH SENTENCES WERE NOT USED IN THE COMPUTATIONS. TABLES ARE INCLUDED.