Charting the Evolution of Structure and Determinacy in State Sentencing and Corrections Policies 1970–2010

Abstract

This study examines state policies governing criminal sentencing and prison release decisions between 1970 and 2010. The goal is to create common definitions and operationalizations of policies to better specify state-level policy differences over time and across jurisdictions. Relying on an independent review of state codes, we define and catalogue key legislative initiatives adopted across the states, including presumptive sentences, sentencing guidelines, and the abolition of discretionary release. We argue that a set of common definitions and accounting is necessary for enhancing research on the content, adoption, and impact of policies and for assisting policymakers in the development of reform initiatives in the areas of sentencing and corrections.

Classifying Prisoner Returns

“…Part of the confusion in the scholarly literature on prison returns are the nuances in definitions and the changing structure of community supervision. Parole supervision has been replaced by many different forms of community supervision for an offender serving a community supervision term after his or her term of prison (Petersilia, 2003; Piehl & LoBuglio, 2005; Stemen & Rengifo, 2012). We have adopted the more generic terminology postconfinement community supervision (PCCS) to include parole, mandatory release supervision, and even a split sentence that includes both a term of prison and a subsequent term of probation.…”