Criminal Sentencing in The United States - Indeterminate Sentencing

Indeterminate Sentencing

For the people that have to serve a long term sentence, the judge will sentence them to between 5–50 years. The legislature generally sets a short minimum sentence that one offender must spend in prison (e.g. one third of the minimum sentence). Then the parole board must set the actual date of prison release, and the standards that the parolee must follow.

The results of long term sentences is that the offender can take advantage of the programs that the prison allows, including rehab for drug abuse or alcohol abuse, anger management, mental health, and so on, so when the offender completes the rehab or program they need they may be released upon request from authorities

Some have criticized that long term sentences may have no effect on the offenders- that they just go back out into the community and keep committing the same crimes.