Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Deborah Laufersweiler-Dwyer

Abstract

Within the U.S. criminal justice system, defendants’ socioeconomic status (SES; not indigent being middle/high class [ $50,000] and indigent being lower class/poor [ $49,999]) may be used as a factor affecting sentencing outcome for first- or second-degree murder cases. This study examined the severity of sentencing outcomes for middle/high SES individuals versus low SES individuals being prosecuted for first- or second-degree murder in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York. The study focused on determining if low SES individuals were sentenced differently for first- or second-degree murder crimes than individuals of middle/high SES. This study’s theoretical framework, based on the social conflict theory, focused on the unequal treatment of defendants of lower SES compared to their more privileged counterparts within the criminal justice system. The sample included 107 adults (18 years or older) arrested and sentenced for murder in the first or second degree in Manhattan. The findings suggested that those individuals identified as nonindigent had lower chances of being found guilty than their indigent counterparts. Furthermore, the findings also denoted that individuals charged with second-degree murder faced a shorter prison term compared to individuals charged with first-degree murder, regardless of individual SES. The results of this study may help create positive social change in relation to the need for complete organization translucency and accountability within the criminal justice system.

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