Sentencing Guidelines Resource Center

The Robina Institute’s Sentencing Guidelines Resource Center provides information and comparative analysis about U.S. sentencing guidelines systems, which are standards designed to establish rational and consistent sentencing practices within a particular jurisdiction. For detailed information about how we define “guidelines systems,” see What are Sentencing Guidelines? The Resource Center collection includes in-depth information about sentencing guidelines and commissions and summaries of important interpretive case law. The Center also provides more limited information about states that have sentencing commissions authorized to study and make recommendations on sentencing issues, but no mandate to develop sentencing guidelines. The purpose of the Sentencing Guidelines Resource Center is to facilitate the exchange and sharing of information, expertise, and experience with sentencing guidelines; to educate on issues related to sentencing policy, guidelines, and commissions; to promote multi-jurisdictional comparative research and policy analysis; and to promote the adoption and retention of best practices in sentencing guidelines systems.