Lesson 3: The Criminal Sentence

Lesson Overview

Covered in this lesson is the underlying rationale and philosophy of criminal sentencing. Every offender found guilty of a criminal offense receives a sanction to be carried out in and overseen by the corrections subsystem. The debate between 'reform' and 'punishment' is considered as are the different attempts throughout history at remaking criminal sentencing for the benefit of the offender, society, or both. The lesson concludes with an investigation into issues and controversies surrounding criminal sentencing today, including mandatory sentences for certain types of offenses, lack of equity in sentencing offenders due to bias, and the impact of longer, harsher sentences on the criminal justice system.

Lesson Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Recognize the philosophy behind determining the goals of criminal sentences;
• Describe the structure of sentencing models, types and guidelines;
• Present the contemporary issues and controversies surrounding criminal sentencing.