Faculty Publications

Sex Differences In Criminal Sentencing: Chivalry Or Patriarchy?

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Justice Quarterly

Volume

8

Issue

1

First Page

59

Last Page

83

Abstract

The effects of legal and extralegal variables on sentences are compared for separate samples of male and female felony imprisonment cases from a state justice system. Although no gross sex differences in sentence severity were found, the variables that predict sentence severity were found to differ by sex. Race affected sentence length for men but not for women; employment status affected the sentences of women but not of men. The effect of offense seriousness on sentence length varied by sex. Family status variables were found to have weak and inconsistent effects on the sentences of female offenders. Qualitative analysis of the official narratives of the cases studied revealed some evidence that sex differences in legal processing reflect the influence of patriarchal values. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Original Publication Date

1-1-1991

DOI of published version

10.1080/07418829100090911

Link to Full Text

Comments?

Share

COinS