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Sentencing and sanctions

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Alternative Sentencing Policies for Drug Offenders

June 2009

The panel presentations from the 2009 NIJ Conference are based on an NIJ-sponsored evaluation of the effectiveness of Kansas Senate Bill 123, which mandates community-based drug abuse treatment for drug possession by nonviolent offenders in lieu of prison. 

Sentencing and Sanctions

At the conclusion of the judicial process, a judge may sentence an individual convicted of a crime to some type of penalty or sanction, such as a decree of imprisonment, a fine, or other punishments.

Alternatives to detention and confinement are approaches in lieu of incarceration when other options such as treatment, community-based sanctions, or residential placements are more appropriate. Successfully completing these types of programs typically result in a charge being dropped or reduced, while failure may result in the restoration or heightening of the original penalties.

United States Sentencing Commission

Sentencing Commission annual reports and sourcebooks containing data on the application of the federal sentencing guidelines from 1995 to 2011.