Judge Sprecher talks sentencing at CLE event

Discusses book Justice or Just This? at Eat & Earn event

Did you know that in 1980, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had 11 prisons?  Since then, 16 additional prisons have been built.

In 1980, the Bureau of prisons spent $94 million to house 7900 prisoners.  Today, the budget is over $2 billion to care for more than 52,000 inmates.

Why such an increase? 

According to Berks County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey K. Sprecher, the reason for this explosion in the number of inmates is simple: mandatory sentences and the Sentencing Commission. 

Judge Sprecher's answer to the inmate explosion:  give sentencing discretion back to the judges!

The judge spoke to an "Eat & Earn" session sponsored by the Lycoming Law Association on June 20, at the Williamsport Holiday Inn.  He discussed the problems he perceives in the current sentencing scheme mandated by the state legislature, which he has written about in a recent book, Justice or Just This?

It was the "crazy 1960's" and court decisions extending civil rights that led to the backlash that has resulted in the legislature mandating sentences.  This, along with perceived inequities in sentencing and the "war on drugs" caused the legislative branch to usurp the traditional discretion of judges in sentencing criminals.

The result has been the imprisonment of people who should not be in prison, often for periods that are unreasonably long.

Judge Sprecher suggests that most judges and many legislators (privately) agree that the current sentencing system is putting too many people in jail.  But, he says, elected officials must be tough on crime to be reelected.  He believes it is unlikely that any meaningful changes will be implemented.

After his comments, Judge Sprecher autographed copies of his book for the members of the Bar who attended the session.