Sentencing Assignment Essay

Submitted By SamiMD51
Words: 1567
Pages: 7

The Principle Objectives of Punishment within the U.S. Corrections System
Sami-Marcia Donovan
CJA/234
September 29, 2014
Freddy Stansbury
.Abstract
This paper will analyze a comparison of objectives of punishment within the state and federal prisons in the United States. A summary of the different methods of sentencing and the impact each has on the state and federal correction systems. In addition, an explanation of determinate and indeterminate sentencing will be reviewed and whether determinate or indeterminate has the greatest impact on the writer. Finally, the information from this analyzes will be supported by various professionals within the correctional system.

The Principle Objectives of Punishment within the U.S. Corrections System
Throughout history, the State and Federal Department of Corrections across America had changed their objectives when it came to punishment of criminals. These contributing factors throughout the prison system begins in the Attorney General’s office, presented to the Governor and is handed down to the Department of Corrections Director for implementation. With the constant increase in crime, laws have had to be changed to ensure the safety of the community. In addition, political views in regard to the prison system and how operations have had to be changed in order to enforce these new laws and to ensure the communities safety (Sootak, 2000).
The Federal and State Department of Corrections in every state across America has four set goals. The first and foremost is to protect the citizens, the staff and the inmates. The second is a commitment to professionalism and responsibility of prison staff. The third goal is to ensure that all concerned are treated with dignity, respect, sensitivity while making and enforcing administrative and operational judgments. Finally, is to rehabilitation of inmates in order prepare them for the institutional adjustments, transitions, and re-entry into society (Sootak, 2000).
Even though, States are separate entities that make precise, detailed rules, procedures and terms in the criminal justice system, and the punishment of criminals in their jurisdiction based upon State Penal Codes. Judges have six options of sentencing the offender. The Economic sanctions, which is a standalone sentence and does not involve probation, but does require the offender pays a fine and/or restitution to the victim and/or court and completes community service. Probation is where an offender is given a prison sentence, but is suspended upon the condition of being supervised in the community. Probation may also include the offender working an ankle monitor. Intermediate Sanctions is between probation and imprisonment and requires monitoring in the public via an ankle monitoring system. Short-term confinement is typically less than one year and is served in the county jail. Imprisonment is a sentence of incarceration for more than one year and is served either in a state or federal prison. The final sanction is Capital/Corporal Punishment is given to the most severe of crimes and is carried out through the death penalty (Bureau of Justice…, 1967).
Federal and the State justice systems have many similarities when it comes to rules, procedures and punishment of criminals. Both state and federal consider any act that is against an individual or property a crime. Violations of certain crimes, such as burglary will receive a lesser punishment than a more serious, such as murder. Punishment for murder will be much greater, and the offender could receive the death penalty. Whereas, the criminal charged with burglary may be given probation for a year or less in the county jail. Constitutional law has influenced both the Federal and State criminal justice systems over the past couple of decades. All criminal justice systems are part of the United States government. They have a duty to assess and regulate sentencing to ensure punishment is within law, and fits the crime (Bureau