An individual's circumstances and environment can be an influence in committing a crime. Someone born into poverty and living in a drug infested community, is more likely to commit a crime than a person who is brought up in better surroundings. These facts are often taken into consideration when a judge hands down a sentence. Because of this, some people oppose alternative punishment.  Living in a community that has a high crime rate often leads an offender to re-offend when he is released. Other circumstances like mental illness can be a reason for an individual to commit a crime. Mental illness is another factor that is taken into consideration when a judge hands down a sentence. California has implemented a law that allows alternative sentencing for some veterans. An example of this is an ex-marine that served in the war in Iraq, suffering from and extreme case of post traumatic stress disorder. He walked into a bank unarmed and used a note demanding money from a bank teller. According to the law, the judge could have sentenced him to 5 years in prison, but he was instead placed in a treatment facility.   In the article "Coming Home", Sample states that "In addition to combat vets with PTSD, the law applies to those suffering from substance abuse or unspecified psychological ailments (Sample, par 4)."
 Many lawyers actually advertise alternative punishment as a means of obtaining clients. These lawyers make every effort to keep an offender out of prison. Some find this to be a despicable means of advertisement as it lures criminals to certain lawyers in order to avoid a prison sentence. Advertisements of this type are useful for an offender that has no criminal record and is convicted of a misdemeanor. The lawyer can help a client like this to receive punishment such as probation, community service, electronic monitoring, or substance abuse treatment.  After completing his or her alternative sentence, this offender will more than likely be rehabilitated and less likely to re-offend. On the other hand, alternative sentencing is not likely if these lawyers defend individuals charged with a felony and have lengthy criminal records. Â
Some states such as California and Michigan, utilize a Jail Overcrowding Task Force.  The main purpose for this task force is come up with ways to use prison resources to prevent prison overcrowding and save taxpayer dollars for more useful programs such as health care and education.  The down side to this is that some counties utilize early release programs for prisoners with very short sentences and do not require offenders to participate in any type community service or rehabilitation program.  On the other hand, there are work furlough programs that include electronic monitoring. This is a more acceptable means of alternative punishment.  Inmates with short sentences are allowed to obtain employment while serving their sentence. A portion of the offender's paycheck is garnished and paid to the state as a means of paying for his or her incarceration... To further alleviate prison overcrowding, electronic monitoring is sometime allowed for these individuals so they are not utilizing a prison bed that can be used for a violent criminal. A down side to this is the program was expanded and now allows unemployed individuals to participate in electronic monitoring without paying any money to the state.
According to Edge, "some judges have returned to the colonial sentence of shaming to punish people convicted of crimes." (83). This type of punishment is called public notice. Public notice is a punishment that publicly shames the criminal in an attempt to change his or her attitude and conduct. An excellent example of this is a judge ordering a man convicted of accidental homicide to parade in front of a bar with a sign that read, "I killed two people while driving drunk." This public ridicule often deters a criminal from re-offending.
The Victim-Offender Mediation Program (VOMP) is a program that involves the victim of a crime. Offenders have a face-to-face meeting with the victim or victim's family members and a trained mediator. The offender is told how his or her crime affected the victim and/or family. This can make the offender feel remorse for his crime and explain why he committed the crime and even apologize for it. This program is often successful with juvenile offenders that commit non-violent crimes.
 In conclusion, each state has its own rules for the punishment of criminals called sentencing guidelines, which are sentencing policies prosecutors and judges use for people convicted of serious misdemeanors and felonies. The crime and the criminal's previous criminal history are considered when a judge hands down a sentence. People that oppose alternative sentencing argue that an individual's circumstances are unique and should be considered during sentencing, otherwise there is a possibility of re-offending. People in favor of alternative sentencing argue that otherwise, judges could sentence offenders to different punishments for the same crime. The end result is that prison overcrowding in the United States will never end unless alternative sentencing programs are utilized for non-violent offenders. Prisoners incarcerated for violent crimes and who have lengthy criminal records should not even be considered for alternative sentences.
根据边缘，“一些法官回到殖民句羞辱惩罚的罪行而被定罪的人。”（83）。这种类型的惩罚被称为公共通知。公告是一种惩罚，公开羞辱在试图改变他或她的态度和行为的犯罪。这一个很好的例子是法官命令一男子因意外杀人在酒吧里写前游行，“我杀了两个人酒后驾驶。”这个公众的嘲笑经常阻止罪犯再犯罪。
刑事和解程序（vomp）是一个程序，涉及到犯罪的受害者。罪犯有一个面对面的会见受害者或受害者的家庭成员和一个训练有素的调解员。这个罪犯被告知他或她的犯罪是如何影响受害者和/或家庭的。这可以使犯罪人对他的犯罪感到自责，并解释为什么他犯了罪，甚至道歉。这个计划往往是成功的青少年罪犯犯下非暴力犯罪。
Â总之，每个国家都有自己的惩罚罪犯称为量刑指导规则，这是检察官和法官量刑政策用于犯有严重轻罪和重罪的人。Â犯罪和罪犯的犯罪历史是以前当法官的手下一个句子。反对的人认为，一个人选择量刑的情况都是独特的，应考虑在量刑，否则有可能重新犯罪，量刑有利于替代Â人认为，否则，法官可以判犯同罪不同的处罚。最终的结果是，监狱人满为患，在美国将永远不会结束，除非其他量刑程序是用于非暴力罪犯。Â囚犯关押的暴力犯罪和那些冗长的犯罪记录，甚至不应该考虑替代的句子。
