Louisiana Sentencing Guidelines for Nonviolent, First-Time Felons

Louisiana has strict sentencing guidelines for first-time felons.

Louisiana, like most other states, provides sentencing guidelines for convicted criminals. The guidelines break down conditions for the sentencing of each crime, including type of crime committed and the level of violence in the offense.

Types

Louisiana provides several sentencing options for nonviolent, first-time felons. Although a prison sentence would be rare, certain cases, such as those involving fraud or theft of excessive amounts of money, or those involving sales of large quantities of drugs, qualify for incarceration. House arrest, probation, jail time, fines and community service are other sentencing options.

Considerations

Louisiana considers a variety of factors when determining sentences for first-time felons. These include the defendant's misdemeanor criminal history, his need for substance abuse treatment or other counseling, if the defendant damaged a victim and statements made by the defendant himself about the crime.

Background

In 1987, the governor's office created the Louisiana Sentencing Commission. They enacted sentencing guidelines on Jan. 1, 1992. However, in 1995, the guidelines became voluntary.

References

• National Conference of State Legislatures: Significant State Sentencing and Corrections Legislation in 2009
• Pew Trust Center on the States: State Sentencing Guidelines
• Law Server: Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 894.1 - Sentencing Guidelines; Generally