| Abstract: | Minnesota's sentencing reform took place many years ago but its evolution continues. It is not possible for any sentencing system to remain static in the highly political and emotionally charged arena of crime. Goals and principles that were considered firmly established when the Sentencing Guidelines first went into effect have been reordered and expanded, practitioners have cut through the hard edges of the policies and softened their impact, and specific sentencing policies have moved in the direction of harsher penalties for violent and career criminals and drug dealers. While political and practical forces continue to evolve the sentencing guidelines policy, it is the structure itself that provides the essential rational framework for decision making. This article examines some of the forces of change in Minnesota and illustrates how the structure of sentencing guidelines, nevertheless, has managed to retain a rational sentencing policy. |
