Making Sense of Sentencing
For the past quarter-century, the dominant theory in criminal justice has maintained that lengthy incarceration, based on broad, standardized criteria, is the best way to reduce crime. But a growing body of evidence suggests that flexible sentencing practices based on a careful examination of the facts of each case can result in reducing crime, helping ex-offenders become valuable members of society and saving taxpayers money. Some offenders may be truly ‘beyond the pale’ and can never safely be released; but for others, job training, drug treatment or careful monitoring can make a bigger difference than length of incarceration.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Michael Marcus and Federal District Court Chief Judge Anne Aiken are two nationally known pioneers of flexible sentencing practices. They will explain to City Club how we can have, in the phrase of criminologist Mark Kleiman, “less crime and less punishment.”
