Sentencing Disparity Among Upper and Lower Class Health Care Professionals Convicted of Misconduct

Abstract

A longstanding debate in criminology and criminal justice has focused on whether white-collar offenders are sentenced more leniently than other types of offenders. This study uses a sample of approximately 1,200 adjudicated offenders who were employed in various types of health care professions at the time of their offenses—including both high-status and low-status positions—to explore whether the formal response to these types of occupational offenders are based on the status of the offender. The results show that certain types of high-status white-collar offenders appear to be punished more severely than lower status offenders from the health care field. Implications for policy, theory, and future research are provided.