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Criminal Justice Policy Review
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Does an Offender’s Age Have an Effect on Sentence Length?

A Meta-Analytic Review

Jawjeong Wu

University of Nebraska at Omaha, jjwu{at}mail.unomaha.edu

Cassia Spohn

Arizona State University

Research exploring the effects of an offender’s age on unwarranted sentencing disparity has produced conflicting and inconclusive results. Some studies concluded that age was inversely correlated with sentencing severity, whereas others found a positive association. Still others found no significant impact of age on sentencing differentials or that age had a curvilinear effect. Given these inconsistencies, the present research uses meta-analytic methodology to assess empirical findings from a body of sentencing studies. In particular, this research focuses on the imposition of sentence length. Findings from this meta-analysis reveal that the age of the offender has no effect on the length of the prison term and that the strength of the association between the two variables is extremely weak. The homogeneity analysis indicates that variability in effect sizes across contrasts is not due simply to sampling error. A number of moderators related to sample and analytic characteristics account for the differences in effect sizes.

Key Words: meta-analysis • sentencing disparity • sentence length

This version was published on December 1, 2009

Criminal Justice Policy Review, Vol. 20, No. 4, 379-413 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0887403409333047
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