Pina-Sánchez, Jose and Gosling, John Paul and Chung, Hye-In and Bourgeois, Elizabeth and Geneletti, Sara and Marder, Ian D. (2019) Have the England and Wales Guidelines affected sentencing severity? An Empirical analysis using a scale of severity and time-series analyses. British Journal of Criminology, 59. pp. 979-1001. ISSN 0007-0955

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Abstract

Sentence severity has increased in England and Wales in recent years. The causes of the increase remain unclear. One possible explanation relates to the introduction of sentencing guidelines, which seem to coincide in time with the increase in sentence severity. To date, investigations of this hypothesis have been limited to simple exploratory analyses or to specific offences. We use a new scale of sentence severity—developed using Thurstone scaling and the participation of 21 magistrates— and time-series modelling to explore whether a causal effect can be attributed to seven different guidelines. We corroborate the existence of an increase in sentence severity; however, we do not find conclusive evidence pointing at the guidelines having caused it.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	sentencing; severity; guidelines; time-series; Thurstone;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Law
Item ID:	11732
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azz005
Depositing User:	Ian Marder
Date Deposited:	18 Nov 2019 12:27
Journal or Publication Title:	British Journal of Criminology
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher

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