NEWS RELEASE

The National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue · Williamsburg, Virginia  23185

Contact:
Fred Cheesman
Research Associate
National Center for State Courts
757.259-1872

Lorri Montgomery
Communications Manager
The National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525

Study Reveals Surprises in Who Receives Blended Sentencing 

Williamsburg, VA (Dec. 3, 2002) –  An extensive study of Minnesota’s seven-year-old blended sentencing guidelines for juveniles reveals a system where race and geography make a difference in who receives what sentence – and, most importantly, that the system is not targeting those juveniles it was intended for, according to a study recently completed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the Minnesota Supreme Court (MSC).

“The results were very surprising,” said Fred Cheesman, project co-director and court researcher with NCSC, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va.  “This study has strong implications for lots of states, not just Minnesota. It says if you’re going to adopt blended sentencing, proceed cautiously, because the people getting blended sentencing may not be the ones you expect to receive it.” The evaluation is available at www.ncsconline.org/WC/Publications/Res_Senten_BlendedSentencePub.pdf.

This is the first in-depth study ever conducted of the innovative blended sentencing structure, which was first introduced to the juvenile justice system in some states about 10 years ago. The study can serve as a reference for states considering adopting blended sentencing, or for those states that have already implemented it. Blended sentencing – called Extended Jurisdiction Juvenile (EJJ) in Minnesota – was created to help bridge the gap between the juvenile and adult court systems.  “It is intended to give the juvenile one last chance at success in the juvenile justice system, with the threat of adult sanctions as an incentive not to re-offend,” Cheesman said.

“What we found was unexpected,” Cheesman said. “The most serious offenders were more likely to receive a blended sentence than to be transferred to adult court,” while some of the lesser offenders were sent to the adult system. The evaluation, which was funded by the State Justice Institute and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, has been given to the Minnesota legislature for its consideration.

The National Center for State Courts, founded by Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National Center carries out this mission through its offices in Williamsburg, Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colo., which provide research, education, and hands-on consulting services to the nation’s state courts.

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