What is
The Depravity Standard?
- Judges and juries in state and federal courts have the ability to assign harsher sentences to crimes that they consider to be “heinous,” “horrible,” “or “depraved.” Convicted criminals can be transferred to other countries’ prisons because of the severity of their crimes. Some crimes truly separate themselves from others. Yet until now, there has been no standard, fair way to distinguish the worst of the worst crimes.
- To improve fairness of how courts and governments determine the worst of crimes, and to eliminate bias in sentencing, The Depravity Standard establishes standards of what our society decides makes a crime depraved. The approach relies entirely on forensic evidence and the characteristics of the crime – its intent, actions, victim choice, and the perpetrators’ attitude. So it favors neither prosecution or defense. It favors truth and evidence.
- The research you are about to participate in will refine The Depravity Standard. The Depravity Standard distinguishes not who is depraved, but rather, what is depraved and the degree of that crime’s depravity. The Depravity Standard is thus race, gender, national origin, and socioeconomic blind – and protects fairness in sentencing.
How
You Can Help
- Be a part of the first-ever project involving citizens’ direct input into criminal sentencing standards.
- Participate in a scientific study to establish American standards on crime depravity.
- Help determine the intents, actions, victimology, and attitudes relevant to depravity.
- Exercise your equal influence, like a vote, in shaping criminal sentencing standards.
- Contribute to refining the relative importance of these qualities.