Uncharted Territory: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Inter-district Variation in the Federal Criminal Justice System

本研究将通过将法院社区和决策者关注的焦点概念应用于联邦刑事司法系统（FCJS）来推进对刑事法院的理论理解。其核心工作假设是，联邦刑事法院社区的差异有助于解释地区间案件处理程序和结果的差异。除了少数例外，现有的FCJS定量实证研究主要集中在量刑阶段。它通常忽略了地区间处置程序和结果的差异。作为第一个实证的、以理论为导向的FCJS研究，本研究将实现第二个目的：通过观察判决前的决策阶段和评估地区间差异的性质和原因，它将显著扩展我们对FCJS的认识。本研究采用定量数据分析和对FCJS官员的访谈。第一阶段包括与大型联邦法院社区的主要决策者和司法部的主要工作人员进行测试前访谈，并按地区对结果和处置模式的差异进行定量检查。第二阶段将包括在六个地区进行面谈，这些地区根据法院的规模和案件处理技术的不同而选择，地点在华盛顿特区。访谈将分两个阶段进行：第一阶段将探讨从第一阶段定量分析中获得的知识所告知的决策模式；在第二阶段，这些地区的重新访谈将侧重于第一阶段分析产生的问题和假设。

This research will advance theoretical understanding of criminal courts by applying the concepts of court community and decision makers' focal concerns to the Federal Criminal Justice System (FCJS). Its central working hypothesis is that differences in federal criminal court communities help account for inter-district differences in case disposition procedures and outcomes. With few exceptions, existing quantitative empirical research on the FCJS has focused only on the sentencing stage. It usually ignores inter-district variation in disposition procedures and outcomes. As the first empirical, theoretically oriented study of the FCJS, this study will achieve a second purpose: It will significantly expand our knowledge of the FCJS by looking at decision stages prior to sentencing and assessing the nature and causes of inter-district differences. This research employs analysis of quantitative data and interviews with FCJS officials. Phase I includes pretest interviews with key decision makers in a large federal court community and with key staff in the Department of Justice and quantitative examination of differences in outcomes and disposition modes by district. Phase II will involve interviews in six districts selected for variation by size of court and by case disposition techniques and in Washington, DC. Interviews will be conducted in two stages: The first will explore decision-making patterns informed by knowledge gained from the phase I quantitative analysis; in the second, re-interviews in these districts will focus on questions and hypotheses generated by analysis of the first stage.