Structural differences in sentencing systems and normative differences in the nature and influence of prevailing conceptions of justice make huge differences in patterns and practices in Western countries. In most, the views of elected politicians, the media, and the general public are believed to be irrelevant to sentencing decisions; prosecutors are politically insulated career civil servants and do not engage in plea negotiations concerning sentencing or that constrain judges’ choices; judicial fact finding is required in every case involving a conviction; imprisonment is believed to be harmful and to be used only as a last resort; community punishments are widely used in lieu of imprisonment; laws mandating specific punishments for specific crimes do not exist; and proportionality is believed by officials and scholars to be the fundamental requirement of punitive justice. The United States, usually the only one, is the outlier on each of the characteristics.

中文翻译：

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国家量刑制度的差异及其造成的差异

量刑制度的结构性差异以及现行司法观念的性质和影响方面的规范性差异在西方国家造成了形式和实践的巨大差异。在大多数情况下，民选政治家，媒体和公众的观点被认为与量刑决定无关。检察官是政治上孤立的职业公务员，不参与有关量刑的辩诉谈判，也不妨碍法官的选择；在涉及定罪的所有案件中都需要司法事实调查；监禁被认为是有害的，只能作为不得已的手段；社区惩罚被广泛用来代替监禁；不存在对特定罪行判处具体刑罚的法律；官员和学者认为相称是惩罚性司法的基本要求。美国通常是唯一的一个，在每个特征上都是离群值。