A Rebuttal to the Attack on the Indeterminate Sentence

As the preceding sentence indicates, the indeterminate sentence has recently come under attack. Although criticisms that should be considered seriously can be directed at the indeterminate sentence, the time for its abolition has not yet arrived. This article will discuss the history and treatment philosophy underlying the indeterminate sentence, but will not consider all the objections to the indeterminate sentence. Rather, the focus will be on the philosophical and practical problems of implementing the treatment philosophy.

It will conclude that the system itself should not be viewed as solely responsible for its shortcomings because abuses of the system, as well as practical problems of implementation, are responsible for the current dissatisfaction.