Types Of Sentences In Law
A sentence in a law is the official order of punishment given by the state for the offence committed by you and there are various types of sentences in law which ranges from payment of fines to imprisonment till death. The sentences depend upon the offence committed by a person and after looking at the offence the judge may choose either custodial sentences or non custodial sentences.
The various types of sentences in law are:
Imprisonment: These types of sentences in law is given to the person who has committed an offence of highest degree or when his criminal records are so bad, that the only option left is to send him to jail or prison. These imprisonments can be of three types and those are mandatory imprisonments, maximum imprisonments and minimum imprisonments.
Mandatory imprisonments are those where the judge of the court has no say and the offender has to be sent to a prison or a jail for the offence he has committed. Thus, these types of sentences in law are compulsory or mandatory.
Maximum sentences are those where an outer or a maximum limit has been set by the court beyond which an offender cannot be kept in prison or jail. For example: If a person is carrying a weapon without proper authority, then, the maximum limit for which he will serve a sentence is 4 years, as per Prevention of Crimes Act 1953. Thus, the state cannot hold him in prison or jail for more than 4 years.
Minimum sentences are those where a lower or a minimum limit is set for the offender, before which he cannot be released by the law authorities.
Suspended sentences: These types of sentences in law are used in two situations. If the judge wants to postpone or wants to withhold the announcement of sentence after the conviction has been done, then these are used. It may also refer to decision made by judge to postpone the execution after he has declared the sentence.
Fines: Fines refers to certain amount of money which the person who has committed an offence has to pay to the law authorities and has to apply for a pardon as well, for the removal of this fine from his records. These can be given in addition to a conditional sentence or an imprisonment. When a person has broken certain rules such as traffic rules, then he will have to pay fines.
Conditional sentences: This is similar to a house arrest situation, where the offender does not serve a sentence in jail, but lives under strict conditions which are similar to jail-like situations. Thus, conditions such as staying at home unless the offender is working or has to attend school, becomes mandatory and these are supervised as well.
Probation: These are generally followed after an offender has received suspended sentence and in these sentences he is allowed to do only certain amount of things for that given period. The conditions can be that the offender has to appear in the court at a given date every month; he has to maintain good behavior, among others. These are supervised by a probation officer.
