Appropriateness of Sanctions - Minnesota Community Corrections Act Evaluation

• NCJ Number: 86161
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 58 pages
• Grant Number(s): 80-IJ-CX-0001
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored

Annotation

The Community Corrections Act enacted in Minnesota in 1973 was evaluated with respect to its effect on the appropriateness of sanctions, particularly the use of community-based corrections rather than prison sentences for less serious offenders.

Abstract

The sentences received by 4,233 adult offenders between 1972 and 1978 were compared with the appropriate sanctions as indicated by the sentencing guidelines developed by the Sentencing Guidelines Commission. Data on juvenile commitments to State correctional institutions from 1970 through 1979 and figures on the juvenile population at risk formed the basis of the analysis for juveniles. In the majority of geographical areas studied, the Community Corrections Act maintained but did not increase the appropriateness of sanctions for adults. However, the law appeared to increase the severity of community sanctions for adults. A general decrease in the use of probation and an increase in probation with a condition of jail occurred. This result did not occur as a result of a drop in prison use, indicating that offenders traditionally kept in the community were the recipients of the increased sanctions. Both before and after the law's implementation, inappropriate cases were more likely to be community cases committed inappropriately to prison than prison cases inappropriately sent into the community. The law improved the appropriateness of sanctions for juveniles in most geographic areas. Data tables are included.