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Determinate and Indeterminate

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Determinate and Indeterminate
| Determinate and Indeterminate sentencing | | | |

There is a big difference between determinate sentencing and indeterminate sentencing. What determinate sentencing is that it refers to the sentence of imprisonment in which the convicted defendant is given a fixed term of punishment for a criminal offense. An example of this is if the inmate’s sentence is to spend Five months in the county jail is determinate, because the inmate will spend no more than Five months in jail. The dictionaries definition of determinate sentencing is “not definitely or precisely determined or fixed”. Which is difference from what indeterminate sentencing is. What indeterminate sentencing is the prison sentence is imposed after conviction for a crime but does not state specifically how long the defendant will be in jail or when the release date would be. The purpose of indeterminate sentencing is to prevent the defendant from violent behavior while in jail by giving them the power to determine his or her release date. When the Judge imposes an indeterminate sentencing, he or she cannot go above or below the sentencing guidelines. The dictionaries definition of indeterminate sentencing is “Not precisely determined, determinable, or established”. An example of it is if a person is sentenced to spend 5 - 20 years in jail. After the 5 year period the offender would be up for parole, and if the parole board sensed that the offender was rehabilitated he would be released. In Pennsylvania we use an indeterminate sentencing system. I think that it is a good thing that Pennsylvania use an indeterminate sentencing system. It can help the inmate to be less violent in jail and it can keep the guards safe and can also make their job a bit easier. If we used a determinate sentencing system it could cause problems in jail the inmates may not like there sentencing and lash out and the guards or other inmates. If this happens it could start a riot and could end with guards

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