Comprehensive Sentencing, Corrections, and Reentry Concepts for Criminal Justice

What is sentencing?

The judicial determination of the legal sanction given to a person found guilty, linked to an offence, imposed by a judge, and following a conviction.

What is the difference between sentencing and disposition?

Sentencing is the process of determining the penalty, while disposition is the actual sanction imposed (e.g., fine, probation).

What are the types of sentences?

Fines, probation, community service, imprisonment, and split sentences (a combination of two sanctions).

What is the goal of deterrence in sentencing?

To balance between being too lenient and too harsh, deterring both the individual offender (specific deterrence) and the public (general deterrence).

What does selective incapacitation focus on?

Chronic/high-risk offenders, with sentences based on criminal history and risk.

What is the rehabilitation rationale in sentencing?

It focuses on treatment and future reform of the offender.

What is the justice model in sentencing?

Punishment must be proportional to the crime, focusing only on the offence without future predictions, preferring shorter punishments.

What is the restorative or healing rationale in sentencing?

It emphasizes repairing harm through community involvement, healing circles, and reintegration.

What are aggravating circumstances in sentencing?

Factors that make a sentence harsher, such as a prior criminal record, use of a weapon, planning, or severity of harm.

What are mitigating circumstances in sentencing?

Factors that justify a lighter sentence, such as being a first-time offender, having steady employment, or showing remorse.

What are mandatory minimums in sentencing?

The minimum required prison term that must be imposed for certain offenses.

What is a conditional sentence of imprisonment?

A sentence of less than 2 years served in the community under specific conditions.

What is net-widening in the context of community corrections?

The phenomenon where conditional sentences are used for individuals who would have otherwise received probation, increasing supervision.

What are intermediate sanctions?

Sanctions used to increase control while avoiding prison, such as intensive supervision probation, electronic monitoring, and home confinement.

What is intensive supervision probation (ISP)?

A stricter form of probation with more frequent supervision, small caseloads, and behavior-specific rules.

What is electronic monitoring in community corrections?

A method to ensure offenders obey curfews or confinement rules.

What are victim impact statements?

Statements made by victims describing the harm suffered, which may influence sentencing.

What is the significance of Robert Martinson's claim 'nothing works'?

It suggested that rehabilitation had no effect on recidivism, shaping policy negatively despite later clarifications that some programs do work.

What are the key historical shifts in modern prisons?

The shift from punishment of the body to punishment of the mind, influenced by Enlightenment thinkers like Beccaria and Bentham.

What is the Pennsylvania System of prisons?

A prison system characterized by extreme isolation, silent reflection, and single floor architecture.

What is the Auburn System of prisons?

A prison system where inmates work side by side in silence, featuring multiple floors and serving as a basis for Canadian prisons.

What is the reintegration model in corrections?

A focus on skills, treatment, risk and needs, and preparation for release, prevalent from the 1990s to today.

What are the five pains of imprisonment according to Sykes?

Loss of liberty, loss of goods/services, loss of heterosexual relationships, loss of autonomy, and loss of security.

What is prisonization?

The process of assimilation into inmate culture, which can negatively impact reintegration.

What is the role of the Office of the Correctional Investigator?

An independent watchdog created to investigate complaints, conditions, and rights issues in federal prisons.

What does the Risk Principle in the RNR model emphasize?

It emphasizes matching the intensity of supervision to the risk level of the offender.

How does the RNR model differentiate between static and dynamic factors?

Static factors cannot change (e.g., criminal record), while dynamic factors can change (e.g., education, peers).

What are some criminogenic needs targeted by the Need Principle?

Attitudes, peer group, self-control, family communication, and problem-solving.

What is the focus of the Responsivity Principle in the RNR model?

It focuses on matching services to offender characteristics, both general and specific.

What are some reasons for using conditional release?

Prisons are expensive, harmful, disruptive to family/work, and not more effective at reducing recidivism.

What are the benefits of community supervision compared to incarceration?

Community supervision costs less, supports family ties, allows employment, and builds community connections.

What factors are considered in conditional release decisions?

Behavioral history, immediate situation, mental/emotional outlook, pro-criminal social supports, and personal factors.

What does re-entry refer to in the context of offenders?

It refers to all activities supporting an offender's return to the community.

What is desistance in the context of criminal behavior?

Desistance is the process of stopping criminal behavior, influenced by strong social bonds, employment, and stable relationships.

What is the purpose of a Victim Impact Statement (VIS)?

It allows victims to communicate emotional, physical, financial, and psychological harm to help judges understand the full impact of the offense.

How is a Victim Impact Statement used in sentencing?

It is added to the case file and may be used as an aggravating factor, but it cannot suggest a sentence.

What are the most common sentences in Canada?

Probation, fines, and conditional discharges.

What trends are observed in incarceration in Canada?

Most prison sentences are short-term (less than 6 months) and served in provincial institutions.

What factors contribute to the disproportionate representation of Indigenous people in custody?

Systemic issues rather than increased offending contribute to their overrepresentation in custody rates.

What are the characteristics of maximum security prisons?

High walls, guard towers, strict movement controls, and designed for individuals likely to escape or cause harm.

What is the difference between traditional and new generation prison architectures?

Traditional prisons have linear blocks and indirect supervision, while new generation prisons feature direct supervision and greater officer-inmate interaction.

What are some key barriers to successful reentry for offenders?

Employment challenges, lack of stable housing, stigma, low education/literacy, mental health issues, and institutionalization.

What influences successful reentry for offenders?

Strong social bonds, stable employment, pro-social relationships, access to treatment/programming, and supportive community connections.

What is the significance of Kingston Penitentiary in Canadian history?

It was Canada's oldest federal prison, opened in 1835, known for harsh conditions and maximum security, and closed in 2013.

What are the 'pains of imprisonment' as described by Sykes?

Loss of liberty, goods/services, heterosexual relationships, autonomy, and security.

What is the concept of 'prisonization'?

It refers to the process of learning inmate culture, norms, and behaviors.

What is the main focus of community corrections?

To provide supervision and support to offenders in the community rather than in prison.

What is the role of pro-criminal social supports in conditional release decisions?

They are considered as part of the assessment of an offender's risk and potential for reoffending.

What are the key components of effective reentry programs?

Finding housing, securing employment, building pro-social networks, and avoiding relapse into criminal lifestyles.

What does the term 'desistance' imply in criminology?

It implies a gradual process of reducing and stopping offending behavior.

What is the importance of matching services to offender characteristics?

It enhances the effectiveness of interventions and reduces the likelihood of reoffending.

What is the impact of community connections on reentry success?

They provide support and resources that can help prevent relapse into criminal behavior.

What are the implications of the RNR model for correctional programming?

It suggests that correctional programming should be tailored to the risk, needs, and responsivity of each offender.