Monetary sanctions, also known as legal financial obligations (LFOs), are a highly consequential yet underexplored element of the criminal legal system. LFOs consist of fines, fees, costs, restitution, surcharges, and other financial penalties that are imposed on individuals when they encounter the criminal legal system. Drawing on data from a…

Although a sizable number of studies have gathered information from college students regarding their varying degrees of support for capital punishment, few have explored the underlying rationales behind these students' death penalty support or opposition. In addition, although criminal justice majors have frequently been used as study…

Previous research has demonstrated that judicial instructions on the law are not well understood by jurors tasked with applying the law to the facts of a case. The past research has also shown that jurors are often confused by the instructions used in the sentencing phase of a capital trial. The current research tested the effectiveness of a…

This study finds no meaningful relationship between arrest rates and crime rates. It is concluded that earlier findings of a deterrence effect of law enforcement are unsupported. (Author/RLV)

Legislation regarding penalty severity and control over punishment raises questions about the effect of potential penalties on verdicts. Experimental evidence from previous studies is mixed and subject to debate over the worth of simulations. In this study it was expected that the effect of penalties on verdicts would depend on strength of…

Two studies examined the effects of variations of intent, outcome and pain in depictions of rape on the perceptions and punishment of rape. Numerous sex differences in perceptions were found. Females perceived more pain and tended to focus on the effects of outcome while males tended to respond more to the intent variation. Females assigned more…

It was hypothesized that adjudged severity of rape depends on sexual/social history of the victim, even when non-consent is established. Ss (N=650) recommended sentences for rapists for five types of victim when victim testimony was corroborated vs. non-corroborated. "Victim" effect was significant, "corroboration" effect was not. Sex differences…

Using a quota sampling procedure, 514 Indiana citizens were asked about specific circumstances surrounding capital punishment and about their support for various goals of sentencing. Results suggest that although general favorability toward capital punishment is quite high, such a result is misleading with only nine percent supporting it under all…

Investigates whether the victim-offender relationship plays a role in determining the original charge, crime conviction, and sentence length of inmates in prison for violent crimes. Results indicate the victim-offender relationship is related to the legal processing in paradoxical ways. Thus, although nonstranger offenders are charged with and…

This document, the final report resulting from a two-year study of the use of juvenile records in adult court proceedings and the relationship between age and sanction severity, is of interest to researchers and policymakers concerned with sanction policies for youthful offenders. The introductory chapter provides an overview of the controversy…