Sentencing Posts

Managing Collateral Consequences in the Information Age

The newest double issue of Federal Sentencing Reporter, “Managing Collateral Consequences in the Information Age,” touches on the topic of post-sentencing collateral consequences and restoration of rights.

More states facilitating licensing for people with a criminal record

New general laws regulating occupational and professional licensure are in place in Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, and Massachusetts. Similar bills have been enrolled and are on the governor’s desk for signature in Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, and Tennessee.

Revisit teen sentences

New York will no longer treat many 16- and 17-year old offenders as adults.

Algorithms and Justice: Scrapping the ‘Black Box’

The justice system is increasingly turning to complicated computer algorithms to help make decisions about bail, sentencing and parole. But many question whether paying private software companies to use secret algorithms in criminal justice is in the public’s best interest.

MPC: Sentencing Cited in EDNY Restitution Case

Citing the Proposed Final Draft (PFD) of Model Penal Code: Sentencing, the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York dismissed restitution claims due to lack of merit.  

In Depth: Sentencing Guidelines and Correctional Resource Management

Sentencing guideline systems exist, in part, to monitor prison growth, prioritize the use of limited correctional resources, and avoid prison overcrowding. Statutes sometimes mandate that sentencing commissions write guidelines, for example, “with due regard for resource availability and cost.”