Citation

Larson CJ, Berg BL. Behav. Sci. Law 1989; 7(1): 127-137.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/bsl.2370070109

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The movement to replace indeterminate with determinate sentencing is among the most important recent developments in the criminal justice field. While the views of citizens and scholars on the subject have been widely promulgated, little is known about those of the ultimate "consumers" of sentencing reform, namely, inmates. This article examines the views of a systematic sample of inmates in a maximum security institution in Massachusetts. Subjects' opinions were sought on the relative merits of the two typs of sentencing, and possible behavioral and deterrent effects of a proposed switch to determinate sentencing. More inmates were found to be either opposed to or undecided about than in favor of determinate sentencing.

Language: en