How Large Should the Strike Zone Be in “Three Strikes and You're Out” Sentencing Laws?

So-called three strikes and you're out sentencing laws for criminal offenders have proliferated in the United States. The laws vary considerably in their definitions of what constitutes a strike. This paper adapts the classic Poisson process model of criminal offending to investigate how varying sentence lengths and definitions of what constitutes a strike affect the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these sentencing laws. In particular, it asks whether, by using different definitions for the first, second, and third strikes or different sentence lengths, one can make the resulting incarceration more efficient in the sense of incapacitating more crimes per cell-year served.     

刑法因果关系研究

因果关系是指行为与结果之间决定与被决定、引起与被引起之间的关系。在刑法中,将某一结果归咎于某人的时候,往往需要查明其行为与结果之间是否存在刑法上的因果关系。因此,因果关系在定罪中具有重要意义。但并不意味着可以过分夸大因果关系在犯罪构成中的地位。此外,要正确认识刑法中的因果关系,应从事实上的因果关系与法律上的因果关系两方面进行考察,而不应纠缠在必然性与偶然性这样一些哲学问题上。     

Community Penalties in the United States

The author discusses some background matters concerning the US criminal justice systems that may provide useful context for non-US readers, and summarises the main general conclusions about the operation of community penalties from two decades' research. He also briefly summarises research concerning each of the major penalties that have been attempted. Why American jurisdictions have been comparatively unsuccessful at use of community penalties as alternatives to incarceration and whether that lack of receptivity can be changed is discussed in the conclusion.     

论民事赔偿在刑事量刑中的作用——“药家鑫后续案”的启示

“药家鑫案件”的被害人家属在被告人药家鑫被执行死刑之后向其父亲讨要曾被他们拒绝的20万元赔偿款的事件又一次引发热议,这暴露出了民事赔偿在刑事诉讼中的尴尬地位,从此个案入手进行讨论,希望能对我国刑事附带民事诉讼的改进有所裨益.     

量刑建议制度实务研究——以沈阳市检察机关量刑建议权运用情况为调查对象

自二十世纪末期以来,有关量刑建议权的权力属性、法理基础、价值基础等理论问题一直是学术争论的焦点。目前,理论界的肯定态度已呈压倒性的优势,量刑建议的实务亦从尝试阶段进入比较正规的统筹运行阶段。本文从实务研究的角度,结合沈阳市检察机关量刑建议权的运用情况,对量刑建议制度的操作规则提出设想。     

Recent Trends in Sentencing Policies in the Netherlands

This article considers sentencing in the Netherlands and in particular the changes that have been introduced since the 1980s, both in the adult and in the juvenile justice system. Several questions will be treated in the article. Sentencing in the Netherlands in the last two decades is analysed and some explanations for the changing trends are presented. Results indicate that the Netherlands is following a general pattern, prevalent in Europe and the US, of more punitive and repressive punishment. Also, the extent to which new sentencing options, such as community sanctions have made a difference to the upward trend in imprisonment, will be analysed. In an effort to reduce the costs of the system new policies are being developed, introducing both 'front door' and 'back door' varieties in sentencing. These will lead to some important and radical changes in the criminal justice system.     

论相对独立的量刑程序

量刑程序的正当性与量刑程序与定罪程序分离的可行性属于两个不同层面的问题。现阶段我国尚不具备将定罪与量刑程序完全分离的制度条件，而只能构建相对独立的量刑程序，即在法庭审理的主要环节，将定罪与量刑活动相对分离。在将量刑活动纳入法庭审理程序时，应当注意处理好量刑建议与量刑裁量权之间的关系。     

论量刑规范化的实现路径——以刑罚差异性为切入点

量刑是法官在遵循犯罪事实和刑法规范的基础上,运用自身经验和司法逻辑进行理性判断的过程,科学的量刑结果不可能完全整齐划一。电脑或数学量刑均无法代替法官自身经验和智慧。因此量刑规范化的实现,有赖于在立法完善的前提下,发挥和提高法官自身的司法智慧。     

论量刑庭审程序的中国模式

量刑规范化改革要求改变原来那种"重定罪、轻量刑"的庭审程序,通过构建相对独立的量刑调查辩论程序,完善和强化公诉权及被害人求刑权,拓展和加强辩护权,实现量刑程序的诉讼化,使量刑程序与定罪程序相对分离,以达到规范和制约刑事审判自由裁量权之目的。     

我国刑事简易程序的变化与作用——以加拿大作为比较样本

自新《刑事诉讼法》颁布之后,随之而来的是一系列配套规定的补充修改。在这一轮刑事诉讼法律规定的大变革中,刑事简易程序的改革无疑是众多亮点和重点之一。以加拿大的刑事法律制度作为参考系,我国刑事简易程序中似乎可以找到与之相对应的印记。不过,我国修改之后的刑事简易程序并未照搬照抄国外的相关规定,而是秉持西学东渐的态度,在尊重刑事诉讼结构与基本原理的基础之上,发挥着提高诉讼效率和保障被追诉人诉讼权利的双重作用。需要指出的是,我国刑事简易程序仍存在一些值得进一步斟酌的地方。对这些不足之处的完善,将有益于其更好地发挥双重作用。