§ 13A-1-3 — General Purposes of Title

The general purposes of the provisions of this title are:
(1) To proscribe conduct that unjustifiably and inexcusably causes or threatens substantial harm to individual and/or public interests;
(2) To give fair warning of the nature of the conduct proscribed and of the punishment authorized upon conviction;
(3) To define the act or omission and the accompanying mental state that constitute each offense;
(4) To differentiate on reasonable grounds between serious and minor offenses and to prescribe proportionate penalties for each;
(5) To insure the public safety by preventing the commission of offenses through the deterrent influence of the sentences authorized, the rehabilitation of those convicted and their confinement when required in the interests of public protection; and
(6) To prevent arbitrary or oppressive treatment of persons accused or convicted of offenses.

Legislative History

(Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §105.)