Risk Assessment at Sentencing
This article was written by guest author, Dr. J.C. Oleson. Dr. Oleson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Auckland. Prior to joining the University of Auckland in June of 2010, Dr. Oleson served as Chief Counsel to the Criminal Law Policy Staff of the United States Federal Courts. His full-length article on risk assessment in sentencing is forthcoming in the November 2011 issue of the SMU Law Review. The imposition of a criminal sentence is an excruciatingly difficult task, requiring sentencing judges to carefully balance different (and frequently competing) theories of punishment. In some jurisdictions, judges enjoy nearly unfettered discretion; in others, judges impose initial sentences but parole boards make the final determinations about when prisoners are ready for release; in other jurisdictions, judicial authority is…