Do lesser pleas pay?: Accommodations in the sentencing and parole processes

One of the important questions in the discussion of plea negotiation is whether a person who has received a labeling break by exchanging a plea of guilty for a reduced charge, really benefits in terms of the sentence he receives or the time he serves. The present study analyzes differences in sentence lengths or in actual periods of incarceration according to such variables as original charge, type of plea, conviction charge, and magnitude of charge reductions.The study shows that charge reduction may have pay-offs to the extent of directly reducing the maximum sentence possible and indirectly reducing the actual amount of time served. There are indications, however, that the parole process tends to neutralize the sentence differentials associated with charge reduction. The ratio between the time served and the sentence imposed tends to get higher as the magnitude of charge reduction increases.