Determinate Sentencing Model

Sentencing models are strategies or plans that are developed with the aim of imposing punishment as a result of crimes committed. In the 19th century, punishments were normally flat sentences, fines, and probation. People who were under flat sentences served the entire sentence without early release or parole, and by late 19th century, new models were established. After the conviction of the defendant, the judge decides on the most appropriate sentence (punishment) during the judgment phase. Punishment of criminal offenses range from community service and probation, to prison and ultimately death penalty. Some of the factors considered when sentencing include; whether the offender is a “first-time” or “repeat offender”, whether the offender was the main or an …show more content…
Many flaws exist within determinate model because the incarceration period is fixed, with there being no room for adjusting the sentence. Before the 1970s, the inmates received a considerable amount of time and they were released before the original date. A determinate model has the effect of removing bias when sentencing an individual irrespective of whether a judge holds any preconceived notions regarding the person in question or not (Goralski, 2016).
Under the model, the consequences of crimes are known in advance and this causes a person to weigh the consequences of committing illegal actions. This deters people from engaging in illegal activities and this helps in reducing the number of prisoners in the correction facilities. The model is expensive because the cost of housing an inmate for a period of one year is equivalent to what is used by the average household. Laws used under determinate sentencing are complicated and difficult to understand, which can cause problems such as a judge making errors like applying wrong penalties (Goralski,