Constructing Felony Sentencing Guidelines in an Already Crowded State: Oregon Breaks New Ground

Abstract

A dozen states and the federal government now use systems for the sentencing of felony offenders which they call sentencing guidelines. The guidelines vary considerably: Many are voluntary rather than mandatory, some cover a limited group of felonies only, and most are developed independently of any consideration of existing state correctional capacity. In 1989, Oregon, one of the newest of the sentencing guidelines states, borrowed some ideas from Minnesota, one of the oldest guidelines states, to develop felony sentencing guidelines for a state with already overcrowded corrections facilities. Crime & Delinquency asked the director of Oregon's Criminal Justice Council to share her state's experiences.