What did Farrington and Morris's study in 1983 suggest regarding women and sentencing for theft?

Farrington and Morris's study in 1983 focused on sentencing practices and outcomes, particularly in relation to gender differences. The correct choice indicates that women are sentenced equally to men for similar offenses. This finding challenges traditional assumptions about gender disparities in the criminal justice system, suggesting that once the nature of the offense is taken into account, women do not face harsher penalties than their male counterparts for comparable crimes such as theft.

The context of their research reveals that sentencing decisions may not be influenced by gender when the specifics of the crime are aligned, supporting the idea that law enforcement and judicial practices can sometimes operate with a degree of impartiality regarding gender. This suggests that systemic factors, rather than inherent gender biases, may dictate sentencing outcomes.

The other options explore different dimensions of gender and crime; however, they do not align with the specific findings of Farrington and Morris. For instance, the idea that women are sentenced more leniently or that they commit more theft offenses does not reflect the essence of the study's conclusions. Additionally, the claim that women are often prosecuted more than men for theft overlooks the nuanced findings regarding sentencing, rather than prosecution rates, which is the focal point of the 1983 research.