Court Operations and Sentencing

  Periodically, sentencing guidelines will be changed at both the federal and state court levels. When this occurs impacted courts must realign their operations to accommodate the changes that have occurred. Sentencing guidelines alterations can alter court operations along a wide range from simply updating sentencing documents all the way to complex changes in overall court operations (e.g., method for handling sentencing hearings). In your initial response, evaluate how sentencing guideline changes can impact the administration of court operations. As part of your response discuss steps that court personnel must take to realign court operations to accommodate new sentencing guidelines when the changes have a major impact on the way offenders are sentenced.