America’s Prison System Sentencing Issues

Goals of Sentencing Deterrence – General deterrence – Specific Deterrence –

Incapacitation Gets criminals off the streets and protects the public Reduces… What could be a possible disadvantage of this?

Rehabilitation Changing the individual lawbreaker through correctional interventions Doesn’t… Why has it failed?

Retribution “Let the punishment fit the crime” Retributivists aim to dispense punishment according to an offender's moral blameworthiness (as measured by the severity of crimes of which the offender was convicted). Ideally, the harshness of punishments should be proportionate to the seriousness of crimes.

Types of Sentences Jails are short-term lock-up centers normally run by counties and operated by county sheriffs. Inmates housed in jails include unconvicted defendants awaiting trial who are unable to make bail, convicted misdemeanants, and felons serving jail time as a result of probation violations. Prisons are long-term penal facilities operated by state and federal governments. Most prison inmates are convicted felons serving sentences of more than one year.

U.S. Prison System A record 7 million people, one in ever 32 US adults, were behind bars, on probation, or on parole by the end of 2006 By 2011 the Cost to American NJ – 26, 827 prisoners Cali – 174, 282 prisoners

US vs. the World

Sentencing Issues: Race Dontez Orr Stopped for unlighted license plate. Pled guilty after police found one rock of crack. Not granted intervention. Brian Biddulph Stopped after car chase. Pled guilty after police found crack and paraphernalia. Granted intervention.

Drug Statistics 2.3 million behind bars – 3x amount from % are locked up for drug offenses $70 billion year on corrections Whites engage in drug offenses at a higher rate, yet African Americans are locked up at a rate that is 10x more than that of whites

Solutions? Decriminalize drug possession