Economics of discriminatory sentencing

The legal and social professions have long been concerned with the problem of whether the fact that those incarcerated in prison tend to be drawn from the ranks of the poor unemployed and low social status is indicative of willful discrimination against the underprivileged. In this paper we apply the traditional analytical tools of economics to develop the conditions required for an efficient tradeoff between the probability of conviction and the length of prison sentence for both rich and poor. We show that the generally accepted approach of equal punishment for equal crimes tends to overdeter the rich and underdeter the poor, which results in a gross overrepresentation of the poor in the prison population. In order to eliminate this overrepresentation, the poor must receive a more severe sentence than the rich for an equivalent crime. This appears to contradict normal definitions of equity and we address this issue. We also show that an increase in the total crime budget when used efficiently must always result in longer sentences but can, under appropriate conditions, require a lower probability of apprehension.     

死刑复核程序中法律监督之构建

死刑复核程序的性质是审判程序,因此有必要将其纳入检察机关法律监督的视野,这是检察机关法律监督职能的必然要求.构建对死刑复核程序的法律监督制度应当包括如下几个方面:对死刑复核案件附条件开庭审理.赋予最高人民检察院对死刑复核案件开庭审理的提起权,明确死刑复核程序的审限,建立复核程序裁判文书送达和审查机制,检察长列席死刑复核案件审判委员会会议,加强检察机关内部工作联系机制,对统一法律适用的监督.     

漫议我国限制死刑的理性抉择及死刑的司法控制

中国限制死刑的理性抉择之路是要逐步废止非暴力犯罪的死刑,再逐步缩小死刑的适用范围,最后彻底废除死刑。在目前的司法实践中,要充分发挥死缓限制死刑适用的作用以及时目前的死缓制度加以改进,来实现对死刑的司法控制。     

Research on the judicial review and variation of sentence for the death penalty with a suspension of execution in Chinese criminal law

The imposition of a death penalty with a suspension of execution (DPSE) for two years, and the procedure for judicial review of the DPSE both demonstrate the Chinese policies of “reduction in use of the death penalty,” “cautious application of the death penalty,” and “tempering justice with mercy.” In recent years, the number of cases in which the defendant was sentenced to death and immediately executed has declined, whereas the number of cases in which a DPSE sentence was given has increased. In China, judicial theory and practice generally emphasize the importance of the judicial review procedure in cases where the sentence is a death penalty with immediate execution. However, less attention has been paid to the procedures for review and variation of sentence in DPSE cases. Judicial review for DPSE sometimes exists in name only, and is sometimes overlooked altogether, which is inappropriate for a penalty of this severity. There are also serious shortcomings in the laws regulating the review procedure for the DPSE, which lack provisions specifying the consequences for serious violations of due process during trial, nor do they completely reflect the principle of in dubio pro reo. In the procedure for variation of the DPSE sentence, the relevant laws do not adequately uphold the defendant’s right to a defense or participation in the process. There are also difficulties regarding the time limits on ruling on a commutation of sentence. In order to make the procedure more reliable and guarantee the substantive rights of defendants sentenced to the DPSE, the relevant laws require a number of modifications and improvements.     

《刑法修正案(六)》对赃物犯罪规定的完善

为维护刑事司法的正常活动秩序,更有效地打击赃物犯罪,《刑法修正案(六)》对刑法中有关赃物犯罪的规定作了修改。为了贯彻和执行新的规定,有必要对修改的部分进行认真思考,以作出符合立法精神的法理解释,从而更好地指导司法实践。     

改革开放30年马克思主义理论在西藏的实践

改革开放以来,西藏自治区政府在中国共产党的领导下,坚持马克思主义世界观和方法论的指导,把马克思主义基本原理同西藏的实践相结合,深入贯彻落实中央各项方针政策,以经济建设为中心,深化改革开放,进一步完善民族区域自治制度,反对一切分裂活动,不断探索推动西藏发展与稳定的基本规律。     

结果加重犯内在关系及法定刑配置之思考

结果加重犯是以基本犯为前提的一种犯罪形态。从基本犯与结果加重犯以及结果加重犯的基本犯罪行为与加重结果之间的联系科学认识结果加重犯的内在关系,并以此为基础客观分析其具体法定刑配置,可以看出,结果加重犯的法定刑配置所追求的一个重要的基本目标是应大致遵循一定的基本标准,符合罪刑相适应的基本原则。     

Influences on the Prisoner Rate: Number of Entries into Prison, Length of Sentences and Crime Rate

On the basis of the data contained in the European Sourcebook, this article tries to answer the question: 'What influences the prisoner rate most? The number of entries into prison, the length of sentences, or the crime rate?' The authors show that the crime rate is absolutely not correlated with the prisoner rate. The latter depends principally on the length of the imposed custodial sanctions and secondly on the number of those imposed prison sentences. Nevertheless, there are some indications suggesting that these results could be different from one type of offence to another. Unfortunately, this hypothesis could not be tested on the basis of the European Sourcebook data.     

监狱人性化管理与罪犯权利保障

人性化管理是目前监狱行刑中提出的一个新的概念。它以符合和满足罪犯的基本需要为出发点 ,以保障合法权益和培养健康人格为重要内容 ,以促进罪犯改造和再社会化为价值取向。     

刑法分则中罪状模式的比较分析和立法完善——兼与“既遂模式”论者商榷

对于需要处罚的未遂的故意犯罪,我国刑法分则通常以既遂为标本规定基本法定刑,但对于基本罪状的规定则既不同于意大利刑法明示的既遂模式,也不同于德、日刑法在逻辑上隐含的既遂模式,而是一种非既遂模式。这种法定刑上的既遂模式与罪状上的非既遂模式之间存在逻辑上的矛盾,也导致了学界对我国刑法分则中罪状模式的误解,并由此支撑着一个虚假的犯罪既遂理论。我国刑法分则规定应当借鉴意大利刑法的既遂模式,将犯罪的既遂要素明确规定在基本罪状中,并通过刑法分则的具体规定明确未完成行为的刑事可罚范围。