Sentencing Law

Explores the theories of criminal punishment, the criminal sentencing process, and contemporary issues in sentencing. Topics include: the traditional justifications for criminal punishment--retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation--and the shifting historical prominence of these justifications; the factors that influence punishment, such as the characteristics of the offense and the offender; the role of judicial, executive, and legislative branch actors in setting sentencing law and policy; and the implementation of the federal sentencing guidelines. Also explores systemic sentencing issues, such as racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and modern sentencing reform efforts.