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A call for more sentencing rationality in Florida

By Douglas A. Berman

A helpful reader pointed me to this interesting artice from the latest Florida Bar Journal, titled "Unhandcuffing Justice: Proposals to Return Rationality to Criminal Sentencing."  Though the piece brings the most sunshine to sentencing laws and practices in the Sunshine State, it covers topics arising in every jurisdiction.  Here are snippets: Americans love to be number one.  Unfortunately, we are now tops in two negative areas: debt and prisons.... [O]ur nation imprisons more people per capita than any other nation. Florida is leading this trend with the fastest growth of any state. A recent Pew Report noted that Florida ?will run out of prison capacity by early 2009 and will need to add another 16,500 beds to keep pace.? With $65,000 per bed ?as the best approximation for a typical medium security facility? and $19,308 per year for each Florida inmate, Florida must raise taxes, cut programs, or finance this $1...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on January 30, 2009 (boomark / email).