RECOMMENDING SENTENCE - NEW ZEALAND PROBATION OFFICERS' PRE-SENTENCE REPORTS

• NCJ Number: 14406
• Author(s): R E GIBSON
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Australian and New Zealand Soc of Criminology
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER COURTS FOLLOW RECOMMENDATIONS IN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS MADE BEFORE SENTENCING.

Abstract

DATA FOR THIS STUDY WAS OBTAINED BY ANALYZING THE 3,166 PROBATION OFFICERS' PRESENTENCE REPORTS PREPARED THROUGHOUT NEW ZEALAND BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1968 AND FEBRUARY 1969 INCLUSIVE. RESEARCHERS CONCLUDED THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ADOPTED BY THE SENTENCING COURT IN A MAJORITY OF THE CASES. THERE WERE SOME VARIATIONS IN THIS PATTERN ACCORDING TO PARTICULAR DISTRICTS, BUT GRAVITY OR TYPE OF OFFENSE WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. THE OFFENDER'S HISTORY OF PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS WAS SHOWN TO INFLUENCE WHETHER RECOMMENDATIONS WERE FOR PROBATION OR PENAL SENTENCE. TABLES SHOW THE PROBATION OFFICER'S RECOMMENDATIONS, THE BREAKDOWN FOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TREATMENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY, AND THE ACTUAL SENTENCE RECEIVED BY THE OFFENDER.