united-states criminal-law
Plea bargains - what can a prosecutor offer?
<p>Imagine that a person is charged with a serious crime. The evidence against him is pretty good. If it goes to trial, there is a fair chance that the jury will have at least one reasonable doubt and vote not guilty. The prosecutor believes the person should spend at least 2 years in prison. However, the minimum sentence is only 18 months. Given these facts the prosecutor wants to plea bargain the case. The prosecutor really wants the defendant to serve 2 years.</p>
<p>In order to get a plea bargain, could the prosecutor offer the defendant better food when he/she does his/her time? What about a large private cell? What about free college education when in prison?</p>

<p>Generally speaking, a plea bargain does not include conditions of confinement. The prosecutor can recommend that the judge and department of corrections sentence someone to serve at one facility rather than another, but that recommendation is not binding and micromanagement of how the department of corrections manages someone who has been sentenced is generally not allowed.</p>
