Community Sentences: Alternative To Prisons

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Community sentence, also known as alternative sentencing, or non incarcerating sentence is a common name in the criminal justice system for all the different ways in which courts can punish a defendant who has been convicted of committing a crime, other than serving jail , prison time, or capital punishment . Sentences for a criminals can be served in many different ways, and a getting arrested doesn’t always mean that you will end up in jail or prison. Alternative sentences can include different types of punishments which can be, suspended sentence, probation, fines, restitution, and community service and deferred adjudication/pretrial diversion. Commonly, the theory of retributive justice is ideologically based on the idea of punishment, which is valuable in a way, and also provides deterrence. Before the court decides on execution or imprisonment we thought to be pretty efficient at this, while at the same time maintaining public safety by removing the threat criminals pose to the public. Alternative sentences add goals that trying to rehabilitate the offender, and fix the damage he did. Judges usually determine whether to give an alternative sentence…show more content…
Which is defined as “the release of an offender from detention, subject to a period of good behavior under supervision”. Just like suspended sentence, probation releases the offender back into the community, however he or she does not have the same freedom as a normal citizen would. The Courts usually gives probation to first time or low risk offenders. Depending on the crime committed by the defendant the judge would see if he or she is suitable for probation. Statutes also determine when probation is possible. Probation is giving with conditions that limit the behavior, and if the probationer does not follow those conditions, the court may take away or adjust the probation term and conditions. Courts have a great amount of discretion when giving probation

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