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Sentencing reform
Changes to sentencing laws and practices in the criminal justice system aimed to address issues such as disparity and harsh penalties.
Indeterminate sentencing
A sentencing model that provides a range of time for imprisonment, giving judges and parole boards discretion over release.
Structured sentencing
A model of sentencing that includes predetermined guidelines to limit judicial discretion and ensure consistency.
Mandatory sentencing
A sentencing model where specific punishments are set by statute for certain offenses, eliminating discretion.
Three-strikes laws
Laws that impose severe penalties on repeat offenders after three felony convictions.
Truth in sentencing
Laws that require offenders to serve a substantial portion of their sentence before being eligible for parole.
Fair Sentencing Act of 2010
Legislation that aimed to reduce the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.
Bifurcated system
A two-stage legal process used to determine eligibility for the death penalty, involving separate jury proceedings.
Aggravating circumstances
Factors that increase the severity or culpability of a crime, often leading to harsher penalties.
Mitigating circumstances
Factors that may lessen the punishment for a crime, often considered during sentencing.
Victims’ rights
Legal rights afforded to victims of crimes, including the right to be heard during court proceedings.
Death penalty
A legal punishment involving the execution of a person convicted of a serious crime.
Lethal injection
The primary method of execution in the United States, involving the administration of drugs to induce death.
Electrocution
A method of execution that uses electric currents to cause death.
Gas chamber
A method of execution in which lethal gas is used to execute the condemned.
Nitrogen Hypoxia
A method of execution that causes death by replacing oxygen with nitrogen, leading to asphyxiation.
Victim considerations in sentencing
The incorporation of victims' needs and perspectives into sentencing decisions.
Sentencing models
Frameworks used to determine the type and length of punishment for convicted offenders.
Sentencing disparity
Inconsistencies in sentencing outcomes that can arise due to various factors, including judicial discretion.
Furman v. Georgia (1972)
A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled the death penalty as applied was often arbitrary and discriminatory.
Georgia v. Gregg (1976)
A Supreme Court case that reinstated the death penalty in the United States based on new procedural safeguards.
Concurrent sentence
A sentence where multiple charges are served at the same time.
Consecutive sentence
A sentence where multiple charges are served one after the other.
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
A major crime bill that increased law enforcement funding and imposed tough sentencing laws.
First Step Act
A 2018 law aiming to reform sentencing practices and reduce mandatory minimum sentences.
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