Male and Female Parole Decisions: Is Paying Your Dues or Saying You're Sorry More Important?

Researchers have suggested that females and males consider different factors when making legal decisions; females consider offender remorse more whereas males consider more tangible punishments, such as serving time. The current study investigates gender differences when making legal decisions. The participants (n = 596) read one of three parole scenarios (armed robbery, arson, or drug trafficking) where inmate remorse and time served were manipulated, and decided whether to grant or deny parole. The results show that the participants were less likely to grant parole to the armed robbery inmate, followed by arson and drug trafficking. Additionally, time served affected decisions more consistently than remorse shown, regardless of participant gender. Contrary to hypotheses, women rated the inmates more positively when they had served the majority of their time. The current study suggests that time served is an important predictor of decisions, and that remorse may not be enough to make people agree to reduce punishment or grant freedom.