Indeterminate Sentencing Model

rehabilitation, this type of sentencing model channels the underlying causes of crime in order to reduce future offending (Worrall, 2015). In colonial times, sentencing was solely on retributive and later on deterrence. However in the late 1800's, sentencing became premised on rehabilitation. This then led to a system of punishment called indeterminate sentencing. Sentencing often had wide ranges involving minimum and maximum terms that could sentence someone as little as a day to life in prison. This wide range allowed for time to evaluate the offender's rehabilitation and whether he was fit to return to society. The judge would determine the range of sentencing, but the release decision would fall on prison authorities or prison boards. Although indeterminate sentencing was based on the rehabilitation model and the needs of each offender, sometimes those needs were ignored and/or treated poorly in regards to funding and administering them. Many states still operate under the indeterminate sentencing model, but there has been a drastic shift in methods of sentencing. However, it soon changed to determinate sentencing. The courts wanted uniformity throughout punishments. Determinate sentencing is a …show more content…
These sentencing laws involve legislatures passing fixed penalties, but they differ because these laws are only designed for specific offenders and offenses. The also establish statutory minimums, not maximum. For cases as such, judges may sentence offenders above the requirement, but never below. Nearly all of mandatory minimum requirements have taken the abilities of the judges to make the sentence fit the crime or particularly the defendant. Which raises question. This comes into play especially when the charges are federal and state drug laws, which can require between twenty and thirty years in prison. Sometimes it can even be life for some of