De burger als rechter, onderzoek naar geprefereerde sancties voor misdrijven in Nederland (projectnummer 1933B)

To what extent are these verdicts related to characteristics of the crime event (e.g., offender characteristics, type of crime, victim characteristics)? Does the verdict depend on characteristics of the citizen who issues a sentence (e.g., young/old, male/female)?

And does information about sentencing options (i.e. the costs involved and rates of recidivism) affect verdicts decided by members of the general population? These questions have been central in the current research project on sentencing preferences of the Dutch population. Politicians and media alike often state that Dutch judges are more lenient than the general public would like them to be, and that judges prefer different types of sanctions (choose different sentencing options) than the general public would.