To resolve some of the ambiguity and conflict found in existing research on factors influencing sentence severity, a comparative analysis of sentences (N = 468) receivedfrom afullpopulation sample offelony indictments (N = 619)forfour violent offenses was undertaken. Variable frequency distribution and correlation with several measures of severity were examinedfor all offenses (undifferentiated) and then for each specific crime category. Results indicated that undifferentiated analysis, which represents the approach most frequently used in sentencing research, obscured important correlations and yielded others that were not present within any specific crime category; correspondingly, a number of the significant correlations produced by crime-specific analysis were of greater strength.
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