Reasons to go to prison?

Question

I'm writing a novel where the father returns home from prison. I need a reason why he would go to prison for a jail sentence of 5-8 years. Any suggestions BESIDES rape are welcome!!

Answer 1

How about this - The father is a good man - A truck Driver - over the road - a load must be delivered with in a specific amout of time. The father drives more then the federal law allows - falls asleep at the wheel and kills a family of 4 stopped for a traffic light.

5 - 8 years is usually the time received for this type of incident. Could be more but this is the average

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Forgery of a prescription carrys 2-10 years in prison.



Perjury - carries 2-10 also.

Answer 4

Violent crimes would result in more than 5-8 years.

Another factor would be - has the father been in prison BEFORE this event - or is this the 1st time he has served time?

If you are a repeat offender you usually get more time the 2nd time you are convicted. And the 3rd time - it is the "3 times and you're out".

Did your character go to federal prison or state prison? Federal prisons are scattered across the country - if he served time in one of those it probably was in a location away from his family. So there would have been fewer family visits.

If he served time in a state prison:
1 When he first went in, he was probably put in a higher security level prison.
2. If he stayed out of trouble while in prison, then he would gradually earn "good points". As he earned the "good points" he would qualify for privileges (go to prison's library, work in the shop or have some type of job, or maybe take classes to get his high school diploma [or GED]). Also as he earned these points, and years were served, he would be moved to a prison with a lower security level. And maybe, a prison closer to where his family lived. That is to encourage family visits so the family unit will be maintained.

At one time, in Virginia, the last 6 months of the time to be served - a inmate (non-violent crime only, no sex offenders) would be moved back to the jail where he/she was held while being in court. The reason for this, is to put the inmate back as close to where their family is - as possible. Having been in prison a long time, it is hard to reconnect to the family. Such as "who is this stranger coming in and telling me what to do?" This approach allows the family to gradually start re-establishing the family ties.

The federal government now requires "Truth in Sentencing". This came about cause in the old days, if a inmate served 1 day and didn't cause any trouble they got 2 days taken off their time left to serve. But the rate earned varied from state to state (2 days for 1; 1 1/2 days for 1, etc).
The Truth in Sentencing guidelines means you have to serve 85% of the time you were given.

The 15% off is because prison officials said they needed some incentive to give to inmates for them to behave while in prison.

A lot of bad things can happen to you while in prison. Sometimes an inmate decides they are not going to take orders from the guards, and they fight against being told when to get up, when to go to bed, what to eat, how to dress, etc. When a inmate disobeys an order from a guard - time is added to their sentence. That's how a sentence of 5 to 8 can become 8 years instead of only 5 years. Sometimes, inmates are so afraid of being put into the general population with the other inmates - that they will disobey a rule so they are put into solidary confinement. At least while locked in a cell by theirself, they feel safe. By international agreement, any person locked up - must be allowed out at least 1 hour per day.

To learn more about prison issues that your character would have endured you might check out this website. Its run by the feds. They do research on prison issues, and teach classes to the staff at state prisons and local jails. You can view and download many of their research topics to make your character more accurate. 2 big issues are the number of mentally ill people who end up in prison. And prison rapes (feds call it: Prison Rape Elimination or PRAE).

Something else you might find interesting. In Richmond, Virgina at the state crime lab back around 1987 a secretary started listening to stories by the cops who were bringing evidence in for tresting. Then she started going with the cops as they were on patrol (many police dept have this - its called Ride-Along). She wrote a book and it got published. So she wrote another book. Eventually she resigned as a secretary. Her name - best selling author Patrica Cornwell.

So who knows where you may end up? Good luck.

Answer 5

um...5-8 years...that's long time from home. Because he's the father...that must mean he has a wife and a kid right? Well lets just say he has a problem with controlling his anger. He beats up his own kid and the mother calls the police and he got sents to jail. Good luck with your story:D

Answer 6

from 5 to 8 years

- armed robery
- arsony: burning some thing out to destroy it
- 3rd degree murde: when you are the third party ina crime ex: you are the one how supplied wepons to the murder
- robbing at a gun point: when you rob someone while threatining him with a wepon
- drug dealing
- threatining or hitting a police officer
- piracy
- copyright violation: when you copy a game or a dvd that is copyright protected

Answer 7

Robbery of a Wells Fargo vehicle would give it a good pitch.

You could further say he did it to help his family out or he was an innocent victim , in the wrong place at the wrong time and didn't really do it.

Answer 8

Your best bet would be some sort of accessory crime, such as accessory after the fact of a robbery, by helping hide the robbers. Something along those lines.

Answer 9

drugs! (drug trafficking)
massive imbezzlement! (white collar crime)
burglary
assult with a deadly weapon
arson
robbing a bank

Answer 10

Drug dealing
Robbery at gunpoint
Assault with a deadly weapon