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Essay On Felony Offender Status

958 Words4 Pages

The state of New York has some of the most stringent laws in the country when it comes to violent felony offenses. In an effort to curb crime and protect its citizens, the state has enacted a number of sentencing enhancements that can result in longer prison terms for those convicted of violent crimes. These enhancements come in the form of persistent violent felony offender status, second violent felony offender status, and various violent felony offenses. While some argue that these enhancements are necessary to keep violent offenders off the streets, others question whether they are truly effective and meaningful. Persistent violent felony offender status is one of the most severe sentencing enhancements in New York State. It applies to …show more content…

The theory is that if someone has already been convicted of multiple violent felonies, they are unlikely to change their behavior and may continue to be a danger to society if released from prison. By imposing longer sentences on these individuals, the hope is that they will be kept off the streets and unable to commit further crimes. However, some argue that persistent violent felony offender status is too harsh and does not take into account individual circumstances. For example, someone may have committed multiple violent felonies early in life and then turned their life around, but under this law, they could still face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years to life for any future violent felony convictions. Additionally, critics argue that this enhancement disproportionately affects people of color, who are more likely to be convicted of violent crimes and receive longer sentences than white individuals. Another sentencing enhancement in New York State is second violent felony offender …show more content…

However, some argue that this enhancement is more fair than persistent violent felony offender status because it only applies to individuals who have committed two violent felonies, rather than those who have been convicted of two or more. In addition to these sentencing enhancements, New York State also has a number of violent felony offenses that carry severe penalties. These offenses include murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, rape, and assault with a deadly weapon, among others. Those convicted of these offenses face long prison terms and may also be subject to the persistent violent felony offender or second violent felony offender enhancements if they have previous violent felony convictions. While these sentencing enhancements and violent felony offenses may seem harsh, proponents argue that they are necessary to keep violent offenders off the streets and protect society. They point to statistics that show a decrease in crime rates in New York State since these laws were enacted. Additionally, they argue that the threat of longer prison terms deters some individuals from committing violent crimes in the first

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