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What Are the Differences Between Jail and Prison?
For the most part, jails house pretrial detainees and those sentenced to less than a year, while prisons house defendants sentenced to more than a year.
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Understanding Victim Restitution: Paying Back Victims of Crime
Restitution aims to restore victims to where they stood before they became victims of crime. Restitution laws allow (and sometimes require) judges to order defendants to pay victims for financial losses related to their crimes. This article discusses restitution basics like: Who qualifies as a victim?
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Aggravating Factors in Criminal Sentences
The sentence you end up with might be higher than the average for that offense, depending on the presence of aggravating factors, such as the severity of the crime.
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Community Service Work in Criminal Sentencing
Court-ordered community service is more than picking up litter—it's a formal legal sentence with strict rules, time limits, and real consequences if you fail to comply. Here's what defendants need to know before agreeing to it.
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A suspended sentence gives a defendant a chance to serve their time in the community rather than behind bars. Many suspended sentences include probation.
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Indeterminate vs. Determinate Prison Sentences Explained
Unpack the key differences between determinate and indeterminate sentencing, who decides release, and the pros and cons of each system.
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The federal sentencing guidelines are rules that federal judges are required to consider when sentencing someone who has been convicted of a crime.
