Criminal sentencing is a complex cognitive activity often performed by the unaided mind under suboptimal conditions. As such, sentencers may not behave according to policy, guidelines, or training. We analyzed the distribution of sentences meted out in one year in two different jurisdictions (i.e., England and Wales, and New South Wales, Australia). We reveal that sentencers prefer certain numbers when meting out sentence lengths (in custody and community service) and amounts (for fines/compensation). These “common doses” accounted for over 90 percent of sentences in each jurisdiction. The size of these doses increased as sentences became more severe, and doses followed a logarithmic pattern. Our findings are compatible with psychological research on preferred numbers and are reminiscent of Weber's and Fechner's laws. The findings run contrary to arguments against efforts to reduce judicial discretion, and potentially undermine the notion of individualized justice, as well as raise questions about the (cost) effectiveness of sentencing.

中文翻译：

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首选号码的刑事判决

刑事量刑是一种复杂的认知活动，通常由无助的人在次优条件下进行。因此，判刑人可能不会根据政策，指南或培训行事。我们分析了一年中在两个不同辖区（即英格兰和威尔士以及澳大利亚新南威尔士州）遇到的句子的分布。我们发现，在满足句长（在监护和社区服务中）和数额（罚款/赔偿）时，判刑人更喜欢某些数字。这些“普通剂量”占每个司法管辖区判刑的90％以上。这些剂量的大小随着句子变得更严厉而增加，并且剂量遵循对数模式。我们的发现与首选数字的心理学研究相吻合，让人联想到韦伯定律和费希纳定律。