The criminal justice system maintains different goals when attempting to correct deviant and illicit behavior. In accordance to the sentencing guidelines established by United States Sentencing Commission (2011), punitive sentences are to incorporate a purpose for the sentence. Criminal sentencing can be categorized into six areas with distinctive goals: general and specific deterrence, incapacitation, retributive, rehabilitative, and equity/restitution. The sentencing goals are not exclusive and at times overlap in achieving its purpose. Furthermore, one goal is not better than another, but rather one would be more applicable in certain situations than another.
Deterrence can be defined as sanctioning convicted offenders to reduce crime by …show more content…
The idea is that dangerous criminals cannot commit additional crimes if they are locked up. A situation exemplified by Larry Siegel and John Worral (2012) is of Michael Woodbury who after serving a five year sentence for robbery and theft went on a multistate crime spree which resulted in the deaths of three people. Woodbury claimed to have warned officials of the Maine State Prison that he would be a danger to society if he was released, however his claims where disregarded (Sharp, 2007). Lives could have been spared had Woodbury been incapacitated longer. Another example of incapacitation is the “three strikes” laws which are aimed at getting habitual offenders of the …show more content…
Indeterminate sentencing is an example of rehabilitative goals; a range of minimum and a maximum of time will be sentenced and the offender will be available for parole after the minimum is served. This is a focus on the offenders needs rather than on society’s need for retribution (Siegel & Worral, 2012). Restoration sentencing could also be viewed as a form of rehabilitative goal. Restoration is when offenders are asked to confront their behavior, the damage to the victim, and the shame they have brought upon themselves, loved ones, and society (Siegel & Worral, 2012). This process allows the offenders to make amends and be reintegrated back into society while reconciling conflicts between offender and victims through programs such as victim-offender mediation (Wallace & Roberson, 2015). Diversion is a type of sentencing that will spare non-dangerous offenders the stigma and labeling of a criminal conviction by deferring them to other forms of corrections such as community-based programs that offer treatment (Siegel & Worral, 2012). An example of this would be a minor being sent to a community rehab center instead of being processed in the juvenile court
Deterrence can be defined as sanctioning convicted offenders to reduce crime by …show more content…
The idea is that dangerous criminals cannot commit additional crimes if they are locked up. A situation exemplified by Larry Siegel and John Worral (2012) is of Michael Woodbury who after serving a five year sentence for robbery and theft went on a multistate crime spree which resulted in the deaths of three people. Woodbury claimed to have warned officials of the Maine State Prison that he would be a danger to society if he was released, however his claims where disregarded (Sharp, 2007). Lives could have been spared had Woodbury been incapacitated longer. Another example of incapacitation is the “three strikes” laws which are aimed at getting habitual offenders of the …show more content…
Indeterminate sentencing is an example of rehabilitative goals; a range of minimum and a maximum of time will be sentenced and the offender will be available for parole after the minimum is served. This is a focus on the offenders needs rather than on society’s need for retribution (Siegel & Worral, 2012). Restoration sentencing could also be viewed as a form of rehabilitative goal. Restoration is when offenders are asked to confront their behavior, the damage to the victim, and the shame they have brought upon themselves, loved ones, and society (Siegel & Worral, 2012). This process allows the offenders to make amends and be reintegrated back into society while reconciling conflicts between offender and victims through programs such as victim-offender mediation (Wallace & Roberson, 2015). Diversion is a type of sentencing that will spare non-dangerous offenders the stigma and labeling of a criminal conviction by deferring them to other forms of corrections such as community-based programs that offer treatment (Siegel & Worral, 2012). An example of this would be a minor being sent to a community rehab center instead of being processed in the juvenile court