Criminal Sentencing

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.

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?

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.

Community Service Work in Criminal Sentencing

A judge can order community service in addition to, or in lieu of, other sentencing options, such as incarceration, fines, probation, or restitution.

What Is a Suspended Sentence?

A suspended sentence gives a defendant a chance to serve their time in the community rather than behind bars. Many suspended sentences include probation.

Indeterminate vs Determinate Prison Sentences Explained

A determinate sentence is a jail or prison sentence that has a defined length and can’t be changed by a parole board or other agency. By contrast, an indeterminate sentence is one that consists of a range of years.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines

The federal sentencing guidelines are rules that federal judges are required to consider when sentencing someone who has been convicted of a crime.