NCJ Number
93931
Date Published
1984
Length
47 pages
Annotation
Delaware needs to develop legislation which defines the goal of sentencing and corrections in the State; the goal should emphasize certainty of punishment linked to resource efficiency.
Abstract
Subgoals should be the incapacitation of violent predators, restoration of the victim to the status before the crime if possible, and rehabilitation of the offender when appropriate. The legislature should enact an accountability sentencing commission to replace the current Sentencing Reform Commission. It should develop objective criteria to assign offenders to given accountability levels, should expand the correctional options available, design monitoring standards and quality control, provide training and education of the public and those who operate the system, and provide for appellate review of sentences by either party. If this new body is not created, the existing Sentencing Reform Commission should carry on the work through 1984. Figures, data tables, and a detailed analysis of the current sentencing and correctional situations are included.