A sign of the sentencing times

For more evidence that sentencing for crime in the suites is catching up with sentencing for crime in the streets, today’s New York Law Journal has this article entitled “Smoothing the Path From Corporate Life to Prison Life.”  Here are snippets from its introduction:

The lengthy sentence imposed on former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling recently is a stark reminder that the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines have made federal prison a reality for many first-time offenders.  In fact, one third of all federal inmates are first-time, nonviolent offenders. Moreover, because of the length of their sentences, many of these individuals, like Skilling and WorldCom founder Bernie Ebbers, are denied placement in camp facilities.

But whether an inmate is assigned to a camp without wires and fences or a locked two-person cell, few would disagree that prison life is a profoundly dehumanizing experience. How then can a prospective inmate obtain the most favorable placement in federal prison?  Some hire sentencing consultants, the best of whom — if hired early enough in the case — can position and prepare their client for the least onerous experience the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) offers.