Discussion Questions
- What sort of crime should be punishable by a long prison sentence? By probation?
- Discuss the goals of punishment. Come up with examples of different sentencing options and ask the class to identify how the goals of punishment are met with each.
- What are aggravating and mitigating circumstances? Provide examples of each and explain how they can impact sentencing decisions.
- The author suggests that the sentence should fit the crime. What are some of the factors that should be considered when attempting to fit a sentence to a crime?
- Why are victim impact statements important?