James Olsen
Associate Professor of Criminology, The University of Auckland
Key Findings
- About 32% of the sample was released on pretrial supervision, but of that group, 18% were found to be violation of their release and 6% had their releases revoked.
- Six percent of the sample were denied pretrial release.
- More than three-quarters (77%) were sentenced to prison and served an average of 3.8 years.
- Being White and female reduced the likelihood of a prison sentence.
- Being a non-citizen increased the likelihood of a prison sentence.
- Pretrial releases varied across judges and districts.
- Pretrial detention was associated with a greater chance of receiving a longer prison sentence.
Description
In the article, “The Sentencing Consequences of Federal Pretrial Supervision,” Oleson and his co-authors examine factors that contribute to pretrial supervision of individuals in federal court. The authors specifically focus on race, gender, and age on sentencing outcomes. The researchers collected data from more than 90,000 federal defendants from 2010 to 2011. Sample offenders were primarily male (88%) and racially either non-Hispanic White (80%), Hispanic (62%) or Black (20%). The results showed that 32% of the sample was released on pretrial supervision, but of that group, 18% were found to be in violation of their release and 6% had their releases revoked. Only 6% of the sample were denied pretrial release. More than three-quarters (77%) were sentenced to prison and served an average of 3.8 years. Being White and female reduced the likelihood of a prison sentence but being a non-citizen increased the likelihood of a prison sentence. Overall, pretrial releases varied across judges and districts. Pretrial detention was associated with a greater chance of receiving a longer prison sentence. Oleson noted the need for more research in regional outlets to account for variability between courts.