The Disparity In Sentencing In The Criminal Justice System Essay

The Disparity In Sentencing In The Criminal Justice System - Essay Example In the mid 1970’s a remarkable burst of reforms (Walker, p. 112) were introduced whose main concern was about disparity and discrimination in sentencing. The indeterminate sentence was the main focus of the reform efforts. The sentence in which the offender received a minimum or maximum sentence and the date of release was decided by the parole board is known as indeterminate sentence. Under such sentencing the judge was to decide about the punishment by not only looking at the crime but also looking at the circumstances and the potential for rehabilitation. On the basis of this judgment the parole board was to decide the date of release. Discretion was distributed amongst not only to the justice officials but also the parole board. The result of this process was: "A system of sentencing in which there was little understanding or predictability as to who would be imprisoned and for how long" (Bureau of Justice Assistance, p. 6). Both the liberal and the conservative boards cha llenged the reforms. The liberal presented an argument that the intensity on of the punishment should not rest with the criminal officers or the parole board because they may have racial issues. While the conservative board argued that the punishments given to criminals were too lenient. Their arguments bolstered by the findings of research demonstrating that most correctional programs designed to rehabilitate offenders and reduce recidivism were ineffective (Martinson).