Critiques of indeterminate sentencing focus on two issues--the unpredictability of a release
date and sentencing inequity--and on their consequences for prisoners. Mounting criticisms
of the indeterminate sentencing model in the 1970's led to the adoption in many States of
major determinate sentencing reforms. These reforms varied widely, a variety of factors
undermined their implementation. Data from four prisons in the three States studied were
used to compare prisoner characteristics, prisoner adjustment, and institutional climate …

Specifically, Determinate Sentencing and Imprisonment addresses the im-pact of
determinate sentencing on the attitudes and behavior of prison inmates. Claims of reformers
regarding the negative impact of indeterminate sentencing on inmates and the related
benefits of determinate sentencing are not supported by the findings of the research
reported. Goodstein and Hepburn avoid a Martinson-like conclusion, however, by seeking to
explain the dismal performance of determi-nate sentencing policies. To do so, they adopt a …