| One of the major factors in the establishment of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines was to reduce disparity in federal sentencing. Laura Frank, a reporter for the Tnnessean, reported that under the federal guidelines, Black offenders received sentences that were 10 percent higher than white offenders. After publication of the series articles, an analysis was completed which showed that this difference in sentencing outcomes was not caused by the sentencing guidelines, but by decisions made by prosecutors in the sentencing process. Additionally, this presentation analyzes sexual abuse crimes in the federal system to show the effect of prosecutorial decisions in the plea bargaining process on sentences of offenders. |
Updated 05/20/2006