NCJ Number
79917
Date Published
1980
Length
95 pages
Annotation
Minnesota sentencing guidelines are presented, along with commentary and worksheets.
Abstract
The purpose of Minnesota's sentencing guidelines is to establish rational and consistent sentencing standards which reduce sentencing disparity and ensure that sanctions following conviction of a felony are proportional to the severity of the offense and the nature of the offender's criminal history. The sentencing guidelines embody several principles: sentencing should be neutral with respect to the race, gender, social, or economic status of convicted felons; the severity of sanctions should increase in direct proportion to increases in the severity of criminal offenses and the severity of criminal histories of convicted felons; sanctions should be the least restrictive necessary to achieve the purposes of the sentence, with incarceration limited to those convicted of more serious offenses or who have longer criminal histories. Moreover, departures from the presumptive sentences established in the guidelines should be made only when substantial and compelling circumstances exist. The presumptive sentence for any offender convicted of a felony committed on or after May 1, 1980, is determined by locating the appropriate cell of the sentencing guidelines grid. The grid focuses on offense severity and criminal history. Procedures for determining the sentences for hypothetical cases are provided, along with the sentencing worksheets used, and the sentencing hearing procedure is described. Minnesota 1978 laws bearing upon the establishment of sentencing guidelines are presented.