NCJ Number
55181
Date Published
1975
Length
30 pages
Annotation
COMPARISONS OF FLAT-TIME SENTENCES WITH FLORIDA'S USE OF INDETERMINATE SENTENCES, SPLIT SENTENCES, AND PROBATION AND PAROLE FINDS THAT FLAT-TIME SENTENCING WOULD RESULT IN A GREAT INCREASE IN MAN-YEARS OF CORRECTIONAL TIME.
Abstract
THE ILLINOIS FLAT-TIME SENTENCING MODEL (WALKER-FOGEL JUSTICE MODEL) IS USED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF A FLAT-TIME SENTENCING PROPOSAL MADE BY STATE SENATOR RICHARD J. DEEB WITH FLORIDA'S EXISTING SENTENCING PRACTICES. THE PREPARATION OF DATA FOR USE WITH THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL IS BRIEFLY EXPLAINED. TABLES COMPARE THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF SENTENCE FOR FIRST OFFENDERS AND FOR HABITUAL OFFENDERS, AND AVERAGE TIME ACTUALLY SERVED FOR BOTH FIRST-TIME AND HABITUAL OFFENDERS. THE PROPOSAL AND THE MODEL BOTH ARE CONCERNED WITH FIVE FELONY CLASSES: MURDER (CAPITAL) OR CAPITAL FELONIES, MURDER (NON-CAPITAL) OR LIFE FELONIES, AND CLASS I, CLASS II, AND CLASS III FELONIES. THE COMPARATIVE STUDY REVIEWS THE POSSIBILITY THAT 4,987 MAN-YEARS WILL BE ADDED ANNUALLY UNDER THE FLAT-TIME SENTENCING PROPOSAL. BY COMPARING LENGTH OF SENTENCES OF FIRST OFFENDERS AND HABITUAL OFFENDERS IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE STATE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO ACCOMODATE AN ADDITIONAL 3,458 MAN-YEARS. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE NEED OF 6 ADDITIONAL 600-MAN INSTITUTIONS AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $54 MILLION PLUS OPERATING COSTS OF $3.3 MILLION PER INSTITUTION. THE PROPOSAL MADE BY SENATOR DEEB IS ATTACHED ALONG WITH A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER PRESENTATION REGARDING FLAT-TIME SENTENCING IN ILLINOIS.