Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Michael A. Stallo

Abstract

AbstractThe ability of judges in the U.S. criminal justice system to administer penalties based on a defendant’s socioeconomic status has resulted in a disproportionate number of African Americans receiving harsher penalties than those of other racial groups and socioeconomic statuses. Currently, there is little evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of harsher sentencing of defendants with lower socioeconomic statuses in preventing crime or lowering recidivism, but more work is needed to clarify what sentencing factors judges use. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the factors that Wayne County, Michigan, judges used during the sentencing process of criminal defendants, along with the pros and cons of allowing these factors to be used. The social action theory and rational choice theory provided the theoretical foundation for the study. A case study approach was used to examine the experiences of men offenders in the Wayne County, Michigan, circuit court system. Data were collected from defendants’ interviews and a thematic analysis was used to outline the experiences of the offenders. Transcripts were coded and several key findings were found including African American participants receive harsher sentences than Caucasian participants, participants with court-appointed attorneys were more likely to receive prison time and less likely to receive probation as part of their sentence or sentence recommendation, and African Americans with court-appointed attorneys received more prison time. The potential implications for positive social change will result in criminal sentencing that is fair across the board and sentencings that genuinely yield results that lower recidivism, deters crime, lowers crime rates, and makes our communities safe and vibrant.

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