Richard Lawrence

Effects of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines on Probation Agents

Abstract Studies have examined the effects of sentencing guidelines on sentencing disparities and prison populations, but little research has been done on their impact on correctional personnel. This study reports on a survey of probation agents, assessing their views of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines. Results show disagreement on the agents’ role in pre-sentence investigations, and difficulties with regard to criminal history scores, plea negotiations, and working under the “just deserts” philosophy of the sentencing guidelines. The findings indicate a need for more administrative and judicial attention to clarifying probation agents’ roles and responsibilities under the sentencing guidelines.

CLASSROOMS VS. PRISON CELLS: FUNDING POLICIES FOR EDUCATION AND CORRECTIONS

ABSTRACT One of the most important correlates explaining youth and adult crime is the educational attainment of offenders. Research has established a relationship between lack of school attachment, dropout and delinquency; and special educational interventions have helped reduce delinquent behavior. This paper examines the roles of education and corrections in crime reduction and examines data on government spending for education and corrections. The huge increase in dollars going to prisons seemingly at the expense of reduced educational funding raises serious questions about our long-term policy for crime reduction.

Diverting Offenders from Prison to Restitution Centers

Restitution programs claim to be more effective and less expensive than incarceration of offenders. Victims, the community at large, and the criminal justice system are said to benefit by requiring...

The Impact Of Sentencing Guidelines On Corrections

Determinate sentencing and sentencing guidelines have resulted in prison population increases in several states. Initial results of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines showed greater uniformity and less sentence disparity, with no significant prison population increases. Public and political pressure led the 1989 legislature to increase sentences for drug offenses, sexual assault and homicide. This study examines some of the effects which those changes have had on corrections. Initial results show dramatic increases in drug offender admissions; total admissions exceed the projected growth; and corrections officers express concern about crowding, prison gangs and security problems.

Book Review: School Community and Disorder: Communal Schools, Student Bonding, Delinquency, and Victimization:

parts containing information from articles published previously. Because the book does not flow well, readers will find themselves turning from section to section to make sense of what is being discussed. Given the amount of technical and legal information in this book, it would be better if there were more of a straightforward delivery of material. Students and professionals alike would be able to understand more fully if there were an introduction that discussed the basic issues comprehensively. Aside from this concern, the book is a wealth of information. This book currently is the definitive work when it comes to the issue of competency and a sufficient way to measure it. It is a must read for everyone concerned about the issue of adjudicative competency.

Book Review: Imprisoning America: The Social Effects of Mass Incarceration

Imprisoning America is the culmination of a 2001 conference at Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research on “The Effects of Incarceration on Children and Families.” The editors selected papers for inclusion that met the criteria of being empirically based, interdisciplinary, and multimethod. Contributors to the book come from criminal justice, economics, psychology, social work, and sociology. Part 1 of the book contains four chapters that document the effects of imprisonment on families. The three chapters in Part 2 detail the effects of imprisonment on communities. The U.S. prison population has grown every year since 1975. As of midyear 2002, there were more than 1.3 million persons incarcerated in federal and state prisons. When jail inmates are included, the number of incarcerated offenders exceeds 2 million. Incarceration, however, is not spread evenly throughout the population but is concentrated among lower income and minority residents. Although less than 1% of the general population was incarcerated in 2002, about 12% of Black men in their 20s to early 30s were in prison. This compares to about 4% of Hispanic males, and 1.6% of White males aged 20 to 30 who were incarcerated. The editors suggest that part of the racial disparity in imprisonment derives from race differences in education. Among high school dropouts, one in nine Whites and more than half of all Blacks have prison records. Lack of education and job skills clearly contribute to the risk of incarceration, but the high risk falls disproportionately on young Black males. Contributors to this volume focus on the impact of incarceration not on crime but on family, community, and economic life. Current sentencing policies have a number of unintended consequences. The editors contend that the influx of former inmates with few social supports, family attachments, or economic opportunities may ultimately increase crime rates more than they were lowered by the expansion of the penal system.