Efforts to standardize sentences and eliminate disparities in a state or the federal system cannot succeed; distinctive practices and norms, diverse local cultures, and practical and political needs of officials and agencies assure major local differences in sentencing practice. Presumptive sentencing guidelines developed by sentencing commissions, however, are the most effective means to improve consistency, reduce disparity, and control corrections spending. Federal sentencing guidelines have been remarkably unsuccessful; they should be rebuilt from the ground up. Mandatory sentencing laws should be repealed, and no new ones enacted; they produce countless injustices, encourage cynical circumventions, and seldom achieve demonstrable reductions in crime. Black and Hispanic defendants are more likely than whites and Asians to be sentenced to imprisonment, and for longer; presumptive sentencing guidelines reduced racial disparities initially and over time, but most states do not have presumptive guidelines. Use of predictions of dangerousness to determine who is imprisoned and for how long is unjust; predictive accuracy has improved little in 50 years and current methods too often lengthen prison terms of people who would not have committed violent crimes. Except in the handful of states that have effective systems of presumptive sentencing guidelines, parole release is an essential component of a just and cost-effective sentencing system in the United States.

中文翻译：

---

美国量刑改革五十年：九个教训

在州或联邦系统中，使刑罚标准化和消除差异的努力无法成功；独特的做法和规范，多样的当地文化以及官员和机构的实际和政治需要确保了判决实践中的主要地方差异。但是，由量刑委员会制定的推定量刑指南是提高一致性，减少差异和控制改正支出的最有效手段。联邦量刑准则非常不成功；他们应该从头开始重建。应当废除强制性量刑法，也没有颁布新的法律；他们制造了无数的不公正行为，鼓励愤世嫉俗的规避行为，很少减少犯罪。黑人和西班牙裔被告比白人和亚洲人更有可能被判入狱，而且刑期更长。推定量刑指南最初和随着时间的流逝减少了种族差异，但是大多数州没有推定量指南。利用危险的预测来确定谁被监禁以及多长时间是不公正的；预测准确性在过去50年中几乎没有改善，目前的方法常常会延长那些不会实施暴力犯罪的人的服刑期限。除了在少数几个州拥有有效的推定量刑指南系统的州外，假释是美国公正和具有成本效益的量刑系统的重要组成部分。但大多数州没有推定准则。利用危险的预测来确定谁被监禁以及多长时间是不公正的；预测准确性在过去50年中几乎没有改善，目前的方法常常会延长那些不会实施暴力犯罪的人的服刑期限。除了在少数几个州拥有有效的推定量刑指南系统的州外，假释是美国公正和具有成本效益的量刑系统的重要组成部分。但大多数州没有推定准则。利用危险的预测来确定谁被监禁以及多长时间是不公正的；预测准确性在过去50年中几乎没有改善，目前的方法常常会延长那些不会实施暴力犯罪的人的服刑期限。除了在少数几个州拥有有效的推定量刑指南系统的州外，假释是美国公正和具有成本效益的量刑系统的重要组成部分。