A01=Rhys Hester
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Author_Rhys Hester
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Billy Wilkins
Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=JB
Category=JF
Category=JKV
Category=JPQB
Category=LNFX1
COP=United States
criminal
David Wilkins
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discretion
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eq_nobargain
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eq_society-politics
guidelines
guidelines movement
judge-shopping
judicial decision-making
judicial discretion
judicial rotation
Language_English
mandatory minimums
mixed-methods
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Price_€20 to €50
PS=Active
punishment
qualitative interviews
record
Sentencing
sentencing commissions
sentencing culture
sentencing reform
softlaunch
South Carolina
Product details
- ISBN 9781439923559
- Weight: 254g
- Dimensions: 140 x 210mm
- Publication Date: 07 Jun 2024
- Publisher: Temple University Press,U.S.
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
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Sentencing matters. Reform initiatives hope to impart more uniformity and fairness in sentencing. Tough-on-crime laws like “three strikes” and mandatory minimum provisions deprive judges of sentencing discretion. While sentencing guidelines have been adopted by approximately 20 states since the early 1980s, many judges operate without guidelines.
Sentencing without Guidelines is Rhys Hester’s deep dive into how South Carolina, which never passed sentencing guideline legislation, nonetheless created meaningful punishment reform. It achieved uniformity in sentencing with a traveling circuit of judges, informal norms among judges, and the unique phenomenon of the “Plea Judge” to manage cases.
Hester examines how prior convictions, race, and geographical differences impact sentences to explain why individuals get the criminal sentences they do. He also explores how legal reform mechanisms can influence punishment goals and policy. Sentencing without Guidelines shows the benefits and drawbacks South Carolina experienced as it met sentencing reform goals. These lessons can be translated into policy for other jurisdictions.
Sentencing without Guidelines is Rhys Hester’s deep dive into how South Carolina, which never passed sentencing guideline legislation, nonetheless created meaningful punishment reform. It achieved uniformity in sentencing with a traveling circuit of judges, informal norms among judges, and the unique phenomenon of the “Plea Judge” to manage cases.
Hester examines how prior convictions, race, and geographical differences impact sentences to explain why individuals get the criminal sentences they do. He also explores how legal reform mechanisms can influence punishment goals and policy. Sentencing without Guidelines shows the benefits and drawbacks South Carolina experienced as it met sentencing reform goals. These lessons can be translated into policy for other jurisdictions.
Rhys Hester is Associate Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice at Clemson University.
