Introduction Sentencing and Corrections: Overlapping and Inseparable Subjects

This article serves as an introduction to the concepts of sentencing and corrections, which are two inseparable subject areas. Sentencing is a legal process where criminal sanctions are authorized and imposed in individual cases following criminal convictions, while corrections deals with the implementation, management, and evaluation of criminal sentences after they are handed down. This article presents data on the length of incarceration of inmates per decade, as well as the prison rates of white and black inmates. It also considers efforts that has been made in reducing crime. The rest of the article summarizes work that has been carried out that deals with sentencing and corrections in the United States, including mass incarceration and prison life.