The sentencing for crimes has changed from its origins of early Greece and Rome, where the most common punishment was banishment or exile. Shifts on what was viewed as maintaining public order had a deep impact on punishments. From banishment or exile to public execution, the advancement in sentencing throughout history has developed into today’s sentencing process for those found guilty in the United States. The goal of our modern sentencing model is to deter future crime, to incapacitate dangerous criminals, to punish offenders fairly and justly, to rehabilitate and treat those who need it, and to seek equity for victims and their families. There are a variety of sentencing structures that are used in the United States. Indeterminate sentences are made to tailor fit individual needs. With this view, criminals were believed to be “sick” rather than bad; instead of “the punishment should fit the crime” approach reformers believe that “the treatment should fit the offender.” Determinate sentences offer a fixed term of incarceration; the maximum set by the legislature for the offender sentenced with a particular crime. Sentencing guidelines have …show more content…
In recent years, the Supreme Court has limited its use of the death penalty to first-degree murder and then only when aggravating circumstances, such as for profit or using extreme cruelty, are present. Other offenses might also end in the death penalty, such as a serious crime against the United States. The US is one of only 58 countries in the world still practicing it. The death penalty has been a controversial issue for a long time. Those that support it argue that it strongly affects the deterrence of crime; while those who oppose it cite the possibility of error and bias in the system. Nevertheless, it is a fact that the legal system has become more thorough in its actions when it comes to the issue of the death penalty