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Inmates' perceptions of determinate and indeterminate sentences
Author(s) -
Larson Calvin J.,
Berg Bruce L.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2370070109
Subject(s) - indeterminate , economic justice , institution , perception , psychology , criminology , criminal justice , subject (documents) , field (mathematics) , social psychology , political science , law , computer science , mathematics , neuroscience , library science , pure mathematics
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.