ABSTRACT
Current research often combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods and forms of data collection. From a comparative perspective, sentencing research demonstrates that the factors influencing sentencing in different countries are very similar. This is the case despite important structural and cultural differences in legal and professional contexts, which lead to variations in the interdependency between penal actors and in the initiatives to reduce disparity. Such initiatives reflect the ways in which different judicial and political cultures deal with perceived problems such as sentencing disparities.
