Criminal Justice Practice Exam 2025 - Free Criminal Justice Practice Questions and Study Guide

Concurrent sentencing involves an individual serving multiple sentences at the same time, rather than sequentially. This means if a person is convicted of several crimes and receives multiple sentences, instead of serving each sentence one after the other, they will serve them all simultaneously. For example, if someone receives two sentences of five years and three years concurrently, they would only serve a total of five years, as the longer sentence dictates the duration of time served.

This approach is often used in the criminal justice system to streamline the process and reduce the total time an individual spends incarcerated, especially in cases where the offenses are related. It allows for more efficient use of jail resources and can benefit the convict by reducing the overall duration of imprisonment compared to consecutive sentencing, where each sentence must be served in full.

Other options, like serving sentences sequentially, being released on parole, or serving time in multiple facilities, do not accurately reflect the concept of concurrent sentencing. Sequential sentences would mean one follows the other, while parole relates to an early release from imprisonment, and serving time in multiple facilities involves being incarcerated in different locations, which is a separate issue altogether.