RT Article
T1 Pleading for justice: bullpen therapy, pre-trial detention, and plea bargains in American courts
JF Crime & delinquency
VO 68
IS 2
SP 159
OP 182
A1 Lerman, Amy E. 1978-
A2 Green, Ariel Lewis
A2 Dominguez, Patricio
LA English
YR 2022
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1786006820
AB What role do extra-legal factors play in whether defendants plead guilty to a criminal offense? In this study, we provide qualitative evidence that pretrial detention is a contributing factor in adjudication outcomes. Many of our subjects reported that the prospect of being held in unsanitary and unsafe jails was sufficient to induce their acceptance of a plea, even when they maintained their innocence. Others worried that being held pre-trial would have a negative impact on employment and family responsibilities, and so chose to plead. Our quantitative analyses bolster these self-reports: in a national sample, defendants held in custody pre-trial are significantly more likely to enter a guilty plea, all else equal. These findings have important implications for individual outcomes, but also for the accountability of the criminal justice system as a whole.
K1 Criminal Justice
K1 Plea Bargaining
K1 Courts
K1 Pre-trial detention
K1 Jails
DO 10.1177/0011128721999339