Testing the liberation hypothhesis in the diversion of cases from Youth Courts - Is race still a factor in the sentencing process?

Kalven和Zeisel（1966）的解放假设还没有在英格兰和威尔士青年法庭的结果中出现，尽管青少年拘留的比例有所下降，但BAME青少年囚犯的比例却有所上升。因此，检验解放假说并审查在何种程度上，即使在严重的案件中，种族仍然是量刑过程中的一个因素是有意义的。为了验证这一点，我打算使用基于多元逻辑回归的路径分析，它可以让你分析种族对量刑的直接影响，控制其他因素，也可以测试种族对量刑的间接影响，这是由种族对量刑相关的其他因素的影响引起的。这将允许我测试在对BAME青年的判决中是否存在直接和间接的歧视。该研究将旨在使用两个因变量进行；量刑类型和量刑长度的影响，自变量，如先前的犯罪记录，种族，性别，年龄，和类型的法律代表将被衡量。它还将与法官和地方法官进行定性研究，以了解他们是否认为种族是影响法院判决结果的一个因素，以及他们认为对年轻人判处监禁的主要影响因素是什么？该项目旨在强调在量刑方面产生差异的机制，这些差异导致BAME青年罪犯的比例过高和增加。

Kalven and Zeisel's (1966) liberation hypothesis has not yet been on England and Wales Youth Court outcomes, where despite the decrease in youth custody the proportion of BAME youth prisoners has risen. It is therefore meaningful to test the liberation hypothesis and examine to what extent, even in serious cases, is race is still a factor in the sentencing process. To test this, I plan to use path analysis based on multiple logistic regression, which allows you to analyse the direct effects of race on sentencing, controlling for other factors, and also test the indirect effects of race on sentencing resulting from the effect of race on other factors related to sentencing. This will allow me to test for both direct and indirect discrimination in the sentencing of BAME youths. The research will aim to be conducted using two dependant variables; sentence type and length of sentence upon which the effects of independent variables, such as prior criminal record, race, gender, age, and type of legal representation will be measured. It will also conduct qualitative research with judges and magistrates to see if they feel race is a factor in the Court outcomes and what they consider are the key influences on the imposition of custodial sentences for young people? This project aims to highlight the mechanisms that produce disparities in sentencing that result in the overrepresentation and increase of BAME youth offenders.