California Lawmakers Want DAs to Reveal Incarceration Costs Before Sentencing
Prosecutors and judges will be required to calculate the costs of their sentencing decisions, under a proposed California bill. The Bill, AB 1474, reflects a growing push around the country to curb excessive sentencing terms.
Landwebs
Prosecutors and judges will be required to calculate the costs of their sentencing decisions, under a proposed California bill. The bill, AB 1474, reflects a growing push around the country to curb excessive sentencing terms, reports the Times-Herald. The move comes as California has already approved efforts to curb the number of incarcerated people under the supervision of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), which have led to a reduction in state prison populations by nearly one‑quarter and the parolee population by nearly one‑half. Pennsylvania and Virginia have already enacted similar measures.
“AB 1474 is an important step toward transparency in sentencing and the true cost of incarceration,” said Anne Irwin, Director of Smart Justice California. “This bill will help judges impose more effective sentences that promote both public safety and community well-being by focusing attention on the economic and opportunity costs of lengthy incarceration. This cost transparency will lead to an overdue examination of whether we are getting a good return on our costly investment in incarceration.” See also: “Juries Should be Told Cost of Over-Punishing,” The Crime Report, May 25.
