NCJ Number
96340
Date Published
1983
Length
44 pages
Annotation
Virginia's Sentencing Task Force, appointed on July 21, 1982, examined the State's legal sentencing policies and their application and developed 12 recommendations to effect consistency in sentencing policy.
Abstract
The Task Force presents findings from its review of previous studies of Virginia sentencing, the history of criminal sentencing in both the United States and Virginia, and sentencing policy in both Virginia law and in practice. It identified sentencing inconsistency in both use of incarceration and length of sentences for the same crimes. These were attributed to a variety of factors, including the broad penalty ranges in the criminal code and the equally broad discretion given to judges and juries to set specific sentences. Using its findings, the Task Force proposes several policy recommendations to establish a consistent sentencing policy; set up a commission on sentencing guidelines with members from the legislative, judicial, and executive branches; and continue to explore alternatives to incarceration and the use of fines as a disposition. Sentencing guidelines would reflect a flexible system and a range of sentencing alternatives and would use prior criminal history as a sentencing factor. A recommendation to allow all inmates parole eligibility is included, as is one to establish guidelines on the imposition, revocation, and execution of suspended sentences. Appended data tables present statistics on Virginia sentencing. For the full report, see NCJ 96341.