Guidelines for Progressive Sentencing

Progressive Sentencing should result in less burdening of the gaols and automatic guidelines for extending periods of sentencing for determined recidivists.

In short the idea is simple.

For the first misdemeanor the time served is one day, for the second it is two days, for the third it is four days and for the fifth it is eight days and so on doubling with each incident.

In other more serious matters the day may be replaced by a week or a month or a year each time doubling. In some circumstances a tripling effect may be preferable.

Possibly in lieu of time there may be a fee or fine which doubles also for each misdemeanor. The felon could be asked which he or she prefers.

Where an initial starting point is a month a felon could be given the option of a week in a maximum security prison to see what it is like to be with real hardened criminals, but only see them at dinner times and sit separately.

Progressive Sentencing gives felons more time to think about the ongoing consequences of their recidivism, gives them a focus and something to think about and leaves the prisons a bit more vacant, it is hoped. If a recidivist is in for say an 8 week stretch he knows his next time will be 16 weeks and after that 32 weeks so it provides strong incentive, especially when it is getting up to a matter of years, which should assist with rehabilitation. With proper rehabilitation and determination such situations should be come very rare. A ceiling of years of could be imposed.

Progressive Sentencing would not apply in all cases but it could be commenced in some areas and extended over time to others. It should have more of a sought after behaviour modification effect on recidivists that fixed terms lack.

Perhaps the double effect could be transferred in reference to a wrong in other jurisdictions as a wrongdoer continues to perpetrate wrongs but in unrelated jurisdictions. Their previous actions deny them the right to start again at one day and they take up where they left off in another earlier jursidiction.