Is there a quick easy internet reference for typical punishments for various crimes in various states (and federal)? I’m trying to figure out if crime pays.
It isn’t a straightforward question because the law tends not to work on absolutes except in certain cases.
The circumstances of the offender are considered first, why was the offence committed, how much previous, age there are other things which affect the length of sentence which perhaps should not.
I don’t know of any site that has a compiled a list of all laws of each state/country with the attending sentences. It’s a complicated structure. And, as far as the ‘average’ sentence for any particular crime, it’d be tough to get as well - for example, Possession w/intent to deliver less than 50 grams of a controlled substance in my state (MI) (IIRC) has a '1- 20 ’ year potential. many get sentenced to the “1 - 20” others to “1- 10”, or ‘5- 20’ and they may each end up doing (in order) 15 years, 1 year, and 5 years, so how would you figure that?
Anyhow, not to discourage you further from increasing your knowledge, but each jurisdiction may have different terms completely. In my state, writing a bad check for example will get you a possible 3 - 14 for “uttering and publishing”.
Now, as far as ‘does crime pay’? That I can give you some ideas.
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Each crime has a potential for getting caught. Once you do the offense you have given over the possability of doing time. You might not get caught each time (various crimes have various ‘solve’ rates), but let me put it this way - prisons are a growth industry. This is, I think, where a lot of folks get caught up - they make a quick score on something, get the rush of ‘getting away with it’ and forget the possability and potentials for getting caught.
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Legally, you don’t have the ‘right’ to keep ill gotten gains. So, you’re busted, the authorties can confiscate your goods and bank accounts if it’s the product of a criminal enterprise. They don’t always, but count on it in a drug/theft case.
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Losses after being busted include:
a. financial (in addition to the above, there’s attorney fees, collect phone calls from jails to home etc.)
b you family suffers (you personally aren’t there for Thanksgiving dinner or little Billy’s graduation party), plus the financial (you’re not there helping with bills, you’re costing them in terms of collect calls, sending you $$ etc, going to visit). They also, if they visit you in a correctional setting can be (in some cases) subject to search (including disrobing) and other less than thrilling options.
c. incarceration - let’s face it, it’s not fun. You spend your time with folks that have done bad things, and absolutely every single second of your day is regulated - from what time you get up in the am, to what you have for lunch to what deoderant you use etc. Less than zero privacy, Possability of assault by other inmates.
d post incarceration - your job history now has an interesting gap, you won’t pass a background check on employment, etc.
I’ve seen folks who were used to making big bucks every day in the drug trade come out with their entire life’s possession in a cardboard box. They didn’t seem to think it was worth it.