The Effect of Victim Participation on Parole Decisions: Results From a Southeastern State

Abstract

Advances in victims' rights in many states have generated numerous changes which potentially affect offenders' dispositions. One of the most pro found of these changes in the last two decades has been the right of victims to either allocute (make an oral statement) or have their voices heard through vic tim impact statements, normally presented as part of the presentence report. Offender dispositions may be affected at two points in justice processing as a result of these changes: at sentencing and/or at parole hearings. Despite these legislative changes, most research has indicated that victim participation has had little impact on sentence outcomes. The current study examined parole hearings in one southeastern state to determine if, and how, victim participa tion is related to parole decision making. Results indicate that victim and offender participation are significantly related to parole decisions. The study identifies the relative importance of types of participatory involvement as well as thresholds at which participation begins to affect decision making.