Felony sentencing in Washington State, 2000-2004: A multilevel study of individual and contextual effects

Using sentencing data from Washington State and multilevel analysis techniques, this study examines both contextual and individual level effects on felony sentencing outcomes. In line with insights of dominant theoretical perspectives---focal concern, court organizational, and community social contextual---findings indicate that substantial cross-county variation existed in the incarceration and sentence length decisions. These variations are explained primarily by individual level factors and secondarily by court organizational characteristics (e.g., court size, jail space, and level of urbanization) and county-level contexts (e.g., racial composition and political environment). County-level contextual variables also conditioned several individual effects.;This study offers the first hierarchical multilevel sentencing study in the context of a relatively diverse northwestern state. Although Washington State features a narrow-ranged presumptive sentencing system and mandatory application of sentencing guidelines, extra-legal influences, partly indicated by significant contextual effects, were evident. In particular, differential treatment of minority defendants challenges uniform sentencing aspirations. Black and Hispanic defendants both received significantly longer sentences than whites, and Native American offenders were disadvantaged in the incarceration and sentence length decisions; by contrast, Asian offenders were treated more leniently than whites in both decisions. At the aggregate level, the racial composition of black and Native American significantly increased overall county sentence length. Additionally, a large Native American presence appeared to trigger severe judicial attitudes toward all offenders in the community. However, contrary to the racial threat hypothesis, it had a protective function for Native American defendants---Native American offenders received relatively shorter sentences in counties with a larger proportion of Native Americans in the population. Overall, these effects are notable and worthy of further evaluation. This dissertation highlights the need for the race/ethnicity specific approach, theoretically and methodologically. Future studies focusing on variations in the effects of legal variables also are recommended.