The Most Recent Trends in Sentencing - Paper Example

Introduction

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), statistics indicate that recent trends in sentencing have led to reduced numbers of people in correctional facilities, safer societies and less use of correctional resources. Most states are currently researching the trends that have proved to be useful in sentences to come up with the best remedies for sentenced people and offer quality services. The main agenda of all the trends is to reduce the crime rates and create a safer community to the people. The primary and most recent trends in sentences are as discussed below.

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Privatization of Sentencing

Privatized sentencing where the government gives a selected and approved companies that mandate to offer sentencing services on their behalf. It is a system of sentencing that is trending, and it has proved to be useful as it helps in creating more space for inmates. The private sector however does it for a profit.

Adjusting Sentences

Recently the government is reexamining the people who go into prison and for what crime. It is done to preserve the costly and limited space for the dangerous criminals. In most cases, the drug abusers have been referred to community parole services where they receive treatment as they serve their sentences. It has helped in creating space and being particular in correcting the prisoners as per the weight of their cases.

Focus on Release and Re-Entry

It is a trend that has not only helped the inmates serve their sentences to completion but equips them with starting point skills when they join their communities. The skills help them to succeed after they get out of prison; some of the programs include education, vocational skills among other accountability programs. The benefits the released to have a starting point after they serve in jail.

Matching Offender Needs

Another trending aspect of sentencing is that the government has been keen on meeting the offender needs for appropriate correctional programs to be offered. For instance, the military veterans who commit a crime, the mentally ill and those who are convicted because of substance abuse are given different sentence servings and following their state.

Impacts of the Trends on the Criminal Justice System

One of the effects on the criminal justice system is that is has led to a more efficient and effective way of correcting the offenders as they are rectified based on their needs; this helps in making them better people in the community and reoccurrence of the crime is minimal. Besides, it has led to the setting of priorities in the criminal justice systems, for instance, those who are convicted of dangerous illegal activities are given priority in the prisons while others can be referred to the community for parole. Additionally, it has led to high cost of offering the correctional services for instance by use of private sentencing system the government has to pay an extra cost because the private sector does it for a profit, and this implies an extra allocation in the budget. Finally, it has led to the establishment of fewer crime rates in the communities, and as a result, people are safer. It has also created an effective means of helping the ex-convicts to comfortably settle in their communities once they are released from prison.

Works Cited

Courts Today Sentencing Trends http://www.courtstoday.com/article/sentencing-trends-42345 (2016)

NCSL Trends in Sentencing and Corrections: State Legislation retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/trends-in-sentencing-and-corrections-report.aspx (2013)