A tool designed to estimate the duration of incarceration based on specific criteria, such as the severity of the offense and the jurisdiction where the crime occurred, helps provide a general idea of potential outcomes in legal cases. For instance, such a tool might consider factors like prior convictions, plea bargains, and sentencing guidelines specific to a state or federal system to generate an estimated range of time served.
These tools offer valuable insight for legal professionals preparing for cases, individuals facing potential charges, and researchers studying sentencing trends. Historically, determining potential sentences has been a complex process involving extensive legal research and analysis. The emergence of these computational tools provides increased transparency and accessibility to this information, facilitating better-informed decisions and potentially leading to more equitable outcomes within the justice system.