Punishment and Policy

There are now more than 1 million Americans aged 18 and over in prison or jail, and more than 2.5 million on parole or probation. If one adds those on bail or released awaiting trial or appeal and those serving other punishments such as community service orders, the total under the control of the criminal justice system exceeds 4 million, nearly 2 percent of the nation’s adult population. The pressure of these numbers on insufficient and mostly old penal institutions and on sparsely staffed probation offices has sharpened interest in all punishments and provides the basis for the need to develop and expand “intermediate punishments.”

Conduct Internet and/or library research to further your knowledge of this topic. Then write a paper that addresses the following questions:

• Why do intermediate punishments have such a small role in punishment policy and practice?

• What are the theoretical and practical problems with the comprehensive punishment system Morris and Tonry propose? What changes could be made to resolve these problems?

• What are the components of a comprehensive sentencing system?

• 2 to 3 pages

• APA, title page, abstract, body, reference page