Sentencing guidelines define a recommended sentencing range for a criminal defendant, based upon characteristics of the defendant and of the criminal charge.
Depending upon the jurisdiction, sentencing guidelines may be nonbinding, or their application may be mandatory for the criminal offenses that they cover.
[1] By contrast, mandatory sentencing involves the imposition of legal parameters for criminal sentences, typically mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment.
[6] "The Sentencing Guidelines enumerate aggravating and mitigating circumstances, assign scores based on a defendant's criminal record and based on the seriousness of the crime, and specify a range of punishments for each crime.
"[7] State sentencing guidelines vary significantly in their complexity, and whether they are non-binding or mandatory in their application.