Examining the impact of changes in sentencing guidelines and offender demographics on sentencing of white collar offenders

Using the most recent data compiled by the United States Sentencing Commission and conducted within the conceptual framework of the focal concerns perspective, the current study investigates the impact of offender characteristics, case characteristics, and legally relevant factors on the sentencing outcomes of defendants sentenced under §2B1.1 of the federal sentencing guidelines. Results shows that while gender had no discernable influence on the probability of incarceration or the length of sentence, other demographics of the offender (race/ethnicity, age, and level of education) all emerged as statistically significant. Evidence of jurisdictional variation in sentencing was also detected. Consistent with the goals of sentencing reformers, legally relevant factors surfaced as the strongest determinants of sentencing outcomes. Policy implications and directions for future research are presented.