Sanction in the United States

Sanction Definition

That part of a law which inflicts a penalty for its violation, or bestows a reward for its observance. Sanctions are of two kinds, those which redress civil injuries, called “civil sanctions,” and those which punish crimes, called “penal sanctions.” [1]

Intermediate Sanctions in relation to Crime and Race

Intermediate Sanctions is included in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime [2]), beginning with: Intermediate sanctions refer to punishments that fall between prison and probation. Given the disproportionate representation of people of color in prison today, the use of intermediate sanctions offers the possibility of reducing that disparity. This section examines the range of punishments that comprise intermediate sanctions. Furthermore, an evaluation of the effectiveness of this strategy as well as directions for future research in this area are explored. A defendant who receives a sentence involving an intermediate sanction faces a tougher and more stringent sentence than a defendant placed on probation, but that defendant avoids a harsher prison sentence. In prison, rehabilitation is virtually nonexistent, whereas a traditional probation sentence has been reprimanded as being too lenient and unstructured. Sociologist Jeffrey Ulmer found intermediate sanction sentences, which emerged during the late 1980s, involved more structure, surveillance, and treatment than did traditional probation sentences.

Meaning of Sanction

In plain or simple terms, Sanction means: A penalty to enforce an order.

Sanction in Foreign Legal Encyclopedias

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Notes and References

1. This definition of Sanction is based on The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
2. Entry about Intermediate Sanctions in the Encyclopedia of Race and Crime

See Also

Cuban Embargo Controls
Libyan Sanctions
Iraqi Sanctions
Limited Sanctions Programs