RT Article
T1 Presentence Investigation Reports and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Sentencing
JF Crime & delinquency
VO 69
IS 12
SP 2460
OP 2483
A1 Monaghan, Rory
A2 Konefal, Kaitlyn
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1869155254
AB Racial/ethnic disparity in criminal sentencing is a major area of interest in criminal justice research. However, little research has examined the potential importance of the presentence investigation report (PSI) despite its wide-ranging use in criminal justice decision-making from sentencing onward. These reports are typically compiled by a probation officer post-conviction but before sentencing and provide relevant contextual information about offense and offender to aid the sentencing judge?s decision. Using data from the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing (PCS) (2006?2016), we examine the association between PSI completion and racial/ethnic disparities in sentencing. Results suggest that PSI completion is associated with more severe sentencing outcomes overall, but findings regarding racial/ethnic disparities are mixed.
K1 criminal courts
K1 Disparity
K1 presentence investigations
K1 racial/ethnic disparity
K1 Sentencing
DO 10.1177/00111287221077632