Truth-in-Sentencing Laws in the US Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Truth-in-Sentencing Laws in the US - Term Paper Example Truth in sentencing laws was enacted in the U.S. to reduce the chances of early release from incarceration. Schmallenger (2011) points out that the law requires criminals to serve a substantial portion of the prison sentence imposed by the court before they can be allowed to leave the prison peripheries. The question that many ask relate to whether this kind of law is capable of deterring crime or not? Proponents of the law argue that truth in sentencing can help deter crime in a big way. Firstly, it is argued that locking offenders in prisons for a substantial period of time enhances public safety by deterring crime (Owens, 2010). This is because it prevents the offenders from engaging in criminal acts through incapacitation as they are locked. The locking incapacitates them as they are denied the freedom to move out and engage in criminal activities. This helps in deterring crime a great deal. Incarceration of offenders also prevents inmates from coordinating criminal activities wi th others who have not put in prison. Research shows that one means that criminals use to organize their criminal activities is through communication. This implies that denying a criminal the freedom to communicate and organize criminal acts is one way of addressing the issue of crime. This element has been made possible since the enactment of the truth in sentencing by ensuring that criminals are kept in prison for quite some time until they reform, thereby deterring crime. Truth in sentencing is not only meant to keep inmates in prison but also acts as a rehabilitation measure where inmates are being educated and counseled so as to become good people once they complete their sentences. This helps a great deal in deterring crime. Similarly, truth in sentencing deters would-be-offenders from engaging in criminal activities. This is because, they are aware that engaging in criminal activities may land them in jail where they would spend a substantial portion of their lives in prison, which no one would want. This helps in deterring crime (Owens, 2010). Truth in sentencing also deters crime due to the fact that it creates certainty of the punishment that one receives as a result of being incarcerated.