Social Threat or Social Justice?

There is a wide range of sanctions used by the criminal justice system topunish criminal offenders including death imprisonment and communitysupervision. All of these sanctions involve a social institution exerting directsocial control over an individual either through loss of life or liberty or viaconstant supervision. And even after a prison sentence or community supervisionterm has ended there are continuing penalties for while a prison termmay be completed the label of convicted felon last a lifetime. A uniqueFlorida law affords judges the discretion to withhold adjudication for felonyoffenders sentenced to probation. This sentencing option allows offenders toavoid the label of convicted felon and retain all rights normally lost uponfelony conviction within the state of Florida including the right to vote andcarry fire arms. This book investigates the individual and social contingencieswhich impact the withholding of adjudication from a social threat and socialcontrol perspective.