penitentiary
a state or federal correctional institution for incarceration of felony offenders for terms of one year or more
general deterrence
a crime control policy that depends on the fear of criminal penalties. general deterrence measures, such as long prison sentences for violent crimes, are aimed at convincing the potential law violator that the pains associated with the crime outweigh the
incapacitation
the policy of keeping dangerous criminals in confinement to eliminate the risk of their repeating their offense in society
specific deterrence
a crime control policy suggesting that punishment should be severe enough to convince convicted offenders never to repeat their criminal activity
just desert
the philosophy of justice asserting that those who violate the rights of others deserve to be punished. the severity of punishment should be commensurate with the seriousness of the crime
equity
the action or practice of awarding each person his or her just due. sanctions based on equity seek to compensate individual victims and the general society for their losses due to crime
concurrent sentences
prison sentences for two or more criminal acts, served simultaneously and run together
consecutive sentence
prison sentences for two or more criminal acts, served one after the other
indeterminate sentence
a term of incarceration with a stated minimum and maximum length, such as a sentence to prison for a period of from 3 to 10 years. the prisoner is eligible for parole after the minimum sentence has been served...
determinate sentence
a fixed term of incarceration, such as three years' imprisonment. Determinate sentences are felt by many to be too restrictive for rehabilitative purposes; the advantage is that offenders know how much time they have to serve - that is, when they'll be re
sentencing guidelines
a set of standards that defines parameters for trial judges to follow in their sentencing decisions
mandatory sentence
a statutory requirement that a certain penalty shall be set and carried out in all cases upon conviction for a specified offense or series of offenses
truth in sentencing
a sentencing scheme requiring that offenders serve at least 85 percent of their original sentence before being eligible for parole or other forms of early release
chivalry hypothesis
the view that the low rates of crime and delinquency among females reflect the leniency with which female offenders are treated
victim impact statement
a post-conviction statement by the victim of crime or the victim's family that may be used to guide sentencing decisions
brutalization effect
the belief that capital punishment creates an atmosphere of brutality that enhances, rather than reduces, the level of violence in society. The death penalty reinforces the view that violence is an appropriate response to provocation