Michael Tonry is Sonosky Professor of Law and Public Policy at the University of Minnesota, and editor of the journals Crime and Justice: A Review of Research and Overcrowded Times. He is the author or editor of several well-regarded books on crime and punishment.

This is an important book. Within its pages Michael Tonry provides us with an unparalleled insight into the main sentencing debates in the United States over the 25 years...Tonry's comparative analysis is virtually unique in its ability to convincingly synthesis material from differing jurisdictions...a scholarly exposition of the substance of sentencing research and policy in the United States in recent years,,,it will prove an invaluable work of reference for sentencing scholars and it is clearly of interest to any serious student of contemporary criminal justice policy. It is, in short, a valuable contribution to the literature for which Professor Tonry is to be congratulated.

• Contents 1.: Sentencing Matters 2.: Reforming Sentencing 3.: The Federal Sentencing Guidelines 4.: Intermediate Sanctions 5.: Mandatory Penalties 6.: Judges and Sentencing Policy 7.: Sentencing Reform in Comparative Perspective 8.: "What Is to Be Done?" References Index