Policies of Sentencing

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the topic of criminal justice. Specifically it discusses why criminal sentencing guidelines are set up the way that they are. It looks at the history of sentencing and discusses some of the controversial aspects of sentencing policies. It then looks at ways that policies on sentencing could be improved.

From the Paper:

"However, there are exceptions to sentencing guidelines in modern criminal sentencing, and that is one aspect of sentencing that brings forth many critics. The most controversial aspect of sentencing are mandatory guidelines for specific crimes, and many people feel these mandatory sentences simply do not work. Often the sentences are too long in these cases, or the history of the criminal and the facts of the crime are not brought into being. In short, there are exceptions to all rules, specially these (Bowman, 2003, p. B05). This is evident in statistics since 1970. During that time, the prison population has more than quadrupled, indicating a harder line, mandatory approach to many criminals in the sentencing process (Reitz, 2000, p. 541). Rehabilitation has become far less desirable, while alternative forms of punishment, such as house arrest and community service have been investigated as punishment for some "white-collar" crimes."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ashworth, A. & Wasik, M. (Eds.). (1998). Fundamentals of sentencing theory: Essays in honour of Andrew von Hirsch. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
• Bowman, F. A. Ensuring the punishment fits the crime. (2003, August 31). The Washington Times, p. B05.
• Duff, R. A. (2001). Punishment, communication, and community. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Reitz, K. R. (2000). 20 Sentencing. In The handbook of crime & punishment, Tonry, M. (Ed.) (pp. 542-559). New York: Oxford University Press.

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