The Sentencing Policies For Crimes - 1357 Words

When America changed the sentencing policies for crimes, primarily drug crimes, in America, the effect this change would have in the poor communities were impossible to imagine. The policies which were changed to get tougher on drug crimes on the federal level followed with mass incarceration in the prison system. This was especially true with young African American males in largely poor communities. So these policies not only created a mass incarceration but also racially targeted certain race in America. These procedures which were created to protect the community and the streets actually did nothing but drive a wedge in the relationships between those same communities, law enforcement, and policy makers. The war on drugs was what caused an increase of arrests and people going to prison. The incarceration boom in the early 1970’s, where African American’s, mostly young men, were twice as likely to get arrested for drug crimes as were a white male. However, when the sentencing standards changed on the federal level to mandatory sentencing, a black male was now four times more likely to get arrest on drug crimes than a white male (Clear, 2007). These changes were made to attempt to make the streets and the communities safer from drugs. What the law and policy makers were unaware of was how these changes would bring about widespread incarceration of young black adults, which would disrupt the families of these offenders, mainly in the inner cities of America. One ofShow MoreRelatedThe Sentencing Policy And The Criminal Justice System1065 Words   |  5 Pagesjustice policies and laws that demonstrate how the policy has been informed by the theories that have been covered this semester. Many connections are not explicit but offer great detail in offering information based on the given topics. The current criminal justice policy that I’ve chosen was the sentencing policy. The sentencing policy was put together to reach every type of case that could possibly be seen in the criminal justice system. Here we will further discuss the sentencing policy, a caseRead MoreThe Theories Of Punishment Article1571 Words   |  7 Pageseliminating crime. They realize that the possibility of a crime-free world is non-existent, so minimizing the rate of crime is the only solution to a happy life for the citizens. â€Å"†¦laws that specify punishment for criminal conduct should be designed to deter future criminal conduct,† (Theories of Punishment). There is no extent to the force of punishment; punishment should never be limited if crime is to be at a minimum. In the utilitarian philosophy, punishment is meant to deter crimes from happeningRead MoreTruth In Sentencing Policies and the Effects on Courts and Prisons1563 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough tough penalties for convicted criminals. When deterrence fails, criminals need to be identified and held accountable for their actions. Law enforcement enforces many different crimes; some of the most serious crimes are violent crimes. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, violent crime is defined by four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault (FBI, 2007). Defeating the threat of violent offenders is importantRead MorePrison Blues : How America s Foolish Sentencing Policies Endanger Public Safety1033 Words   |  5 PagesPOLICY RECOMMENDATIONS It has been established that the current policy does not work as it was intended to, so thus it must be changed. William Rehnquist, a former Supreme Court Justice, stated his opinion of minimum sentencing during an often cited speech. As stated in his book Prison blues: How America s Foolish Sentencing Policies Endanger Public Safety, David Kopek credits Rehnquist with stating: These mandatory minimum sentences are perhaps a good example of the law of unintended consequencesRead MoreCriminal Punishment And The Criminal Justice System1193 Words   |  5 Pageshappiness of criminal offenders as the final sentencing decision. Judges have an extensive range of sentencing options. These options range from fines, restitution, and probation to incarceration in jail or prison. For much of the 20th century, criminal sentencing practices remained largely unchanged in the United States. Over the past few decades, we have witnessed a practical revolution in criminal punishment processes. A number of different sentencing reforms have been recently expanded, resultingRead MoreThe Effects Of Mandatory Sentencing On The United States Essay1273 Words   |  6 Pagescountry has such a high incarceration rate is the policy changes that have occurred since the 1970s. During this time, the United States has enacted policy changes that have produced an astounding rise in the u se of imprisonment for social control. These policy changes were enacted in order to achieve greater consistency, certainty, and severity and include sentencing laws such as determinate sentencing, truth-in-sentencing, mandatory minimum sentencing, and three strikes laws (National Research CouncilRead MoreThe Sentencing Reform Act Of 19841526 Words   |  7 PagesThe Sentencing Reform Act is associated with the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, were the U.S. federal statute increased the consistency in the United States federal sentencing. The Sentencing Reform Act created the United States Sentencing Commission. This act allowed the independent commission into the judicial branch of the United States Sentencing Commission. It consists of seven voting members and one nonvoting member. For the sake of the United States Sentencing Commission, thereRead MoreThe Goals of Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System1747 Words   |  7 PagesThe Goals of Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System By: Brian Ouellette Criminal Justice CCJ 1020 Mr. Leonardo Cadogan Abstract In the United States there is no standard when it comes to punishment and sentencing. This area of the  criminal justice system is in a constant state of change. Sentencing practices and goals are always being closely examined. From getting tough on crime to more rehabilitative approaches, the views and goals of sentencing are always beingRead MoreThe Law Of A Uniform Sentencing Guidelines1126 Words   |  5 Pagesoffenders. In India, a uniform sentencing policy does not exist, as neither the legislature nor the judiciary has supplied any formal guidelines. However, the need for the same has been repeatedly recognized by both. For instance, the Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System (Malimath Committee) published its report in March 2003, stating the need for uniform sentencing guidelines: The Committee recommends that a statutory Committee be constituted to lay down sentencing guidelines to regulate theRead MoreThree Strikes: Harsher Sentencing of Repeat Felony Offender804 Words   |  4 Pagesfour states enacted three strikes sentencing policy which calls for much harsher sentencing of repeat felony offender. Most sentences for these repeat offender called for a minimum punishment of a life sentence with possibility of release until twenty five years have been served (1 Marvell, Moody 89). These laws where created to target and punish what lawmakers believed to be the small percentage of criminals that where committing the majority of serious crimes such as murder, rape, kidnaping,