SENTENCING OPTIONS 

I.          Four theories of punishment or sentencing

            A.        Retribution

                        1.         Oldest theory

                        2.         Eye for an eye

3.         Modern just deserts theory is similar—criminals deserve to be punished

            B.        Incapacitation

                        1.         Crime is prevented by physically constraining offenders

2.         Selective incapacitation focuses on small number of multiple offenders

            C.        Deterrence

                        1.         Threat of punishment will keep people from crime

                        2.         Assumes rational, calculating behavior

            D.        Rehabilitation

                        1.         Treatment programs will turn offender into law abiding                              citizens

                        2.         Many question whether rehabilitation programs can work

3.         Theory grants large amounts of discretion to judges, parole boards etc

II.        Judicial, legislative, and executive branches - all part of punishment

A.                 Judges impose sentences within range prescribed by legislature

B.                 Indeterminate sentences have both a minimum and maximum term and parole board decides upon release date

C.                 Legislatures have moved to determinate (fixed) sentences in recent years

D.                Indeterminate sentencing - the parole board decides date of release

1.                  Parole eligibility accelerated with good behavior credit in prison

2.                  Convict released with supervision and conditions

3.                  Governor can pardon convict and release immediately

III.       Judges have sentencing options in most cases

A.                 Incarceration only became popular in last two centuries

1.                  Today prisons and jails house over 2 million inmates

2.                  Prisons are overcrowded

3.                  Inmates file conditions of confinement lawsuits under Eighth Amendment

4.                  Prisons expensive

a.                  New cells cost between 75 and 100 thousand dollars

b.                  Costs of keeping a prisoner  - $25k -$30k per year

c.                    

B.                 Probation - alternative to incarceration

1.                  Defendant remains in community with conditions and supervision

2.                  Four million adults on probation

C.                 Intermediate sanctions are those between probation and imprisonment

1.                  Less costly than prison / more control than probation

2.                  Examples - intensive supervision probation / electronic monitoring / house arrest / boot camps

D.                Fines

1.                  One of oldest forms of punishment

2.                  Many offenders are poor, but fines can be collected with proper programs

E.                 Restitution

1.                  Direct restitution - offender makes payments to victim

2.                  Symbolic restitution - offender does community service

IV.       Death penalty - highly controversial

A.                 In 1972 in Furman v. Ga. - U.S. Supreme Court invalidated all state capital punishment laws

B.                 In Gregg v. Ga. (1976) - Court validated guided discretion capital punishment laws

C.                 Mandatory death penalty laws are unconstitutional

D.                Current death penalty law

1.                  Thirty-eight states and federal government have death penalty.

2.                  Capital punishment may only be inflicted for murder.

3.                  Most executions occur in southern and western states.

4.                  Eighth Amendment limits on capital punishment.

a.                  Persons fifteen or younger at time of murder cannot be executed

b.                  Mentally retarded persons cannot be executed.

5.                  3500 on death row

a.                  Not all death row prisoners executed

b.                  Most are male, minority, poor, uneducated