U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Impact of Truth in Sentencing in Jail and Prison Populations

NCJ Number
116166
Date Published
1989
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Adoption of Truth in Sentencing in Delaware is analyzed with respect to population impact, percentage of time served, method of release, and comparison of time served using various sentencing assumptions.
Abstract
Truth in Sentencing legislation would significantly impact legislation in Delaware. Truth in Sentencing would adopt the 25 percent of the legal maximum as the assumption for sentencing. In addition, under Truth in Sentencing, serious offenders, such as those incarcerated for sex offenses or homicide, would serve longer sentences, although actual time served for burglary and theft offenses would be shorter. A comparison is presented showing prison and jail populations under different sentencing systems, such as five tier Sentencing Accountability (SENTAC) and Truth in Sentencing. Current release processes, with respect to percentage of time served, method of release, and time served, are delineated. Information is provided that shows the changing size and composition of prison and jail populations under different sentencing scenarios. A specific listing of crimes that are included in the crime categories mentioned in the report is included. 10 tables, 6 bar charts.