Excessive Sentencing

Bucking the Trend

Despite the trend in public opinion away from excessive sentencing, Ross’s judge sentenced him to the maximum short of the death penalty for all non-violent charges. This kind of unreasonable sentence, especially for a first-time, non-violent offender, is in opposition to many in Congress; the pope; the Sentencing Reform Act; and an ever-increasing number of organizations, U.S. citizens and people worldwide.  It is responsible for the dramatic spike in mass incarceration in this country and the sharp increase in the number of non-violent people like Ross serving excessive time.

No second chances

According to a study by the Sentencing Project, until the 1990’s life-sentenced prisoners were released after a decade if they demonstrated “good behavior.”[1] Now a life sentence literally means life in prison, or as the pope calls it, “a death sentence in disguise.[2] The number of U.S. prisoners serving life keeps hitting new records.[3] As of 1987, the possibility of parole in the federal system was eliminated.[4] There is no second chance, opportunity to make restitution, or any hope at all.

It is sentences like the one given by Ross’s judge that cause the U.S. to lead the world with the highest prison population.[5] And it is sentences like this that sets precedent for this horror to continue.

Read also: Sentencing Disparity.

References

  • [1] – Study from The Sentencing Project (“Life Goes On: The Historic Rise in Life Sentences in America”, page 3)
  • [2] – Address by Pope Francis – October, 23 2014 (“Life in prison is a death sentence in disguise”)
  • [3] – Study from The Sentencing Project (“Life Goes On: The Historic Rise in Life Sentences in America”, page 3)
  • [4] – Report from the U.S Department of Justice (“History of the Federal Parole System”, page 2)
  • [5] – Report from World Prison Brief