Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Law
Same Crime, Different Time: Sentencing Disparities In The Deep South & A Path Forward Under The Fourteenth Amendment, Hailey M. Donovan
Same Crime, Different Time: Sentencing Disparities In The Deep South & A Path Forward Under The Fourteenth Amendment, Hailey M. Donovan
Seattle University Law Review
The United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. The American obsession with crime and punishment can be tracked over the last half-century, as the nation’s incarceration rate has risen astronomically. Since 1970, the number of incarcerated people in the United States has increased more than sevenfold to over 2.3 million, outpacing both crime and population growth considerably. While the rise itself is undoubtedly bleak, a more troubling truth lies just below the surface. Not all states contribute equally to American mass incarceration. Rather, states have vastly different incarceration rates. Unlike at the federal level, …
“Don’T Move”: Redefining “Physical Restraint” In Light Of A United States Circuit Court Divide, Julia Knitter
“Don’T Move”: Redefining “Physical Restraint” In Light Of A United States Circuit Court Divide, Julia Knitter
Seattle University Law Review
To reduce sentencing disparities and clarify the application of the sentencing guide to the physical restraint enhancement for a robbery conviction, this Comment argues that the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) must amend the USSC Guidelines Manual to provide federal courts with a clearer and more concise definition of physical restraint. Additionally, although there are many state-level sentencing systems throughout the United States, this Comment only focuses on the federal sentencing guidelines for robbery because of the disparate way in which these guidelines are applied from circuit to circuit.
Washington State's Return To Indeterminate Sentencing For Sex Offenses: Correcting Past Sentencing Mistakes And Preventing Future Harm, Jennifer M. Mckinney
Washington State's Return To Indeterminate Sentencing For Sex Offenses: Correcting Past Sentencing Mistakes And Preventing Future Harm, Jennifer M. Mckinney
Seattle University Law Review
The Washington legislature's return to indeterminate sentencing corrects its original mistake of setting fixed sentences for sex offenders with no supervision after release. Unlike the present civil commitment system, indeterminate sentencing preventatively detains offenders in the criminal system, protects the public, and ensures more control over offenders following their prison terms. Indeterminate sentencing provides a more efficient and effective alternative to the civil commitment process. Section II will briefly discuss the progression of sex offender sentencing from the original parole system to the present changes, and why past structures were instituted and later modified or repealed. Furthermore, Section II will …