RT Article
T1 Extending a geographical perspective to the study of jurisdictional consistency in sentencing outcomes
JF The British journal of criminology
VO 58
IS 5
SP 1147
OP 1170
A1 Reid, Andrew A.
A2 MacAlister, David
LA English
YR 2018
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1580204082
AB Consistency in sentencing has long been regarded as a fundamental principle of justice. Yet despite its universal importance, research has been hindered by many theoretical and methodological challenges. This study identifies a new concern with strategies used to measure jurisdictional consistency: direct measures fail to account for sentencing patterns developed at the local level. The objective of this study is to assess the utility of applying a geographical perspective to analyses of sentencing outcomes—one concerned with proportionate comparisons between jurisdictions. This is achieved by proposing a variant of a common metric applied in geographical research: the location quotient. Analyses using the new strategy compare sentence outcomes across provincial/territorial jurisdictions in Canada (2014–15). The technique identifies new patterns of consistency and inconsistency that would otherwise have gone undetected.
K1 Sentences
K1 Consistency
K1 Disparit
K1 Imprisonment
K1 Location quotient
DO 10.1093/bjc/azx084