Criminal History Enhancements Sourcebook

Criminal history scores make up one of the two most significant determinants of the punishment an offender receives in a sentencing guidelines jurisdiction. While prior convictions are taken into account by all U.S. sentencing systems, sentencing guidelines make the role of prior crimes more explicit by specifying the counting rules and by indicating the effect of prior convictions on sentence severity. Yet, once established, criminal history scoring formulas go largely unexamined. Moreover, there is great diversity across state and federal jurisdictions in the ways that an offender's criminal record is considered by courts at sentencing. This Sourcebook brings together for the first time information on criminal history enhancements in all existing U.S. sentencing guidelines systems. Building on this base, the Sourcebook examines major variations in the approaches taken by these systems, and identifies the underlying sentencing policy issues raised by such enhancements.The Sourcebook contains the following elements:A summary of criminal history enhancements in all guidelines jurisdictions;An analysis of the critical dimensions of an offender's previous convictions;A discussion of the policy options available to commissions considering amendments to their criminal history enhancements;A bibliography of key readings on the role of prior convictions at sentencing

Additional Archaeological Survey In The Dry Comal Watershed, Comal County, South Central Texas

In April, 1975, an intensive archaeological survey was carried out in the area proposed for the construction of Floodwater Retarding Structure No. 1, located on the West Fork of Dry Comal Creek, in Comal County, south central Texas (see Fig. 1). The survey was conducted in terms of an agreement (1339-TX-SCS-75) between the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service and the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio. An initial reconnaissance of the area was conducted by Center personnel in November, 1974 and six archaeological sites were located (Hester, Bass and Kelly 1975). However, it was recognized that a more thorough survey would be required in order to fully appraise the archaeological resources at the locality. Therefore, an intensive survey was recommended in the published report of the 1974 investigations (Hester, Bass and Kelly 1975: 22-23). The reader is referred to Hester, Bass and Kelly (1975) for a discussion of previous archaeological research in Comal County. A description of the Floodwater Retarding Structure No. 1 vicinity is also provided in that report. The dam site, and the sediment, flood, and detention pools, will encompass an area of approximately 276 acres (112 hectares)

The McQueeney Municipal Utility District Project: An Archaeological Reconnaissance

During late March, 1976, the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted an archaeological reconnaissance in the vicinity of McQueeney, in Guadalupe County, Texas. This reconnaissance had been authorized by the McQueeney Municipal Utility District in connection with its plans for sewage lines and waste treatment facilities in the McQueeney area. Survey work was facilitated through contacts with URS Forrest and Cotton (project engineers) and with Mr. M. O. Stautzenberger, president of the utility district. We are grateful to Mr. Stautzenberger for providing the field team with a 1:300 aerial photograph of the project locality, and for making the necessary entry arrangements with local landowner

Phase II Archaeological Investigations along the Proposed Route of the Del Norte Pipeline

In late March 1978, Tennessee Gas Pipeline (Houston) authorized the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, to carry out Phase II investigations along the proposed route of the Del Norte pipeline, southern Texas. The Center had conducted an initial historical and archaeological assessment of the pipeline route in 1977 and had recommended subsequent field work (Phase II) in order to better evaluate some of the findings made at that time. (see Hester 1979). The proposed pipeline route studied by the Center extends from a point at the Rio Grande near McAllen to Station 9, south of Victoria. A research plan for Phase II historical and archaeological investigations along this route was submitted to Tennessee Gas Pipeline by the Center

Archaeological Investigations at Sites in the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed, Central Texas

In August, 1976, the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted an intensive archaeological survey of the proposed Floodwater Retarding Structure No.1 area, in the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed, Kendall County, Texas. The work was carried out under the terms of a contract (135-TX-SCS-76) with the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service. An initial survey of this area had been conducted in February, 1975; two historic and 17 prehistoric archaeological sites were documented at that time (Bass and Hester 1975). The intensive survey had three major objectives: (1) to conduct additional reconnaissance, thus insuring that all possible sites had been identified in the project area; (2) to better evaluate certain of the previously identified archaeological resources in terms of their possible nomination to the National Register of Historic Places; and (3) to carry out intensive survey and test excavations at a major prehistoric site, 41 KE 49, and to ascertain if it was worthy of nomination to the National Register of Historic Places

An Archaeological Assessment of Boerne City Park, Kendall County, Texas

As part of its planning for development of Boerne City Park, the Advisory Board of the Boerne Parks and Recreation Department authorized an archaeological assessment of the park area in May, 1976. The assessment was carried out by the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio, and was supervised by the authors. We wish to thank Dr. Dewey D. Davis, Chairman, Park Advisory Board, for his assistance during this project

Archaeological Investigations at sites near Natalia, Medina County, Texas

In January, 1976, Hayden Whitsett, archaeologist for the Texas Water Quality Board, carried out an initial archaeological reconnaissance of areas to be affected by the construction of new sewage treatment plant and lines in Natalia, Texas (Medina County WCID #3; Whitsett 1976). As a result of Whitsett\u27s survey, five archaeological sites (41 ME 18-ME 22) were documented, and Whitsett suggested (ibid: 1) that four of these might be eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Sites. Subsequent to his reconnaissance, Whitsett contacted the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, regarding a Step 2 archaeological testing program at the four sites thought to be of possible National Register quality. An agreement to conduct the needed testing was reached between the Center and the firm of Groves, Fernandez, Barry, Telford and Associates, Inc., the authorized representatives of the Medina County Water Control and Improvement District., A plan of study outlining the proposed testing program of the Center for Archaeological Research was filed with both the Texas Water Quality Board and the Texas Historical Commission

Archaeological Investigations at Four Sites in the Dry Comal Watershed Comal County, South Central Texas

In September, 1975, personnel of The University of Texas at San Antonio, Center for Archaeological Research, conducted an intensive archaeological survey of certain prehistoric sites in the vicinity of Floodwater Retarding Structure No.1, Dry Comal Creek, Comal County, Texas. These investigations were carried out at the request of the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service (purchase order 207-Tx-SCS-76). The area incorporated by Floodwater Retarding Structure No. 1 is on the West Fork of Dry Comal Creek and had been the scene of two earlier archaeological surveys, in November, 1974 (Hester, Bass and Kelly 1975), and in April, 1975 (Kelly and Hester 1975). Both surveys had produced data on a series of archaeological sites (a total of 25 sites was documented; Fig. 1) and in the latter survey (Kelly and Hester 1975), specific recommendations had been made regarding some of the archaeological resources in the area. It was as a result of these recommendations that the present survey was implemented

A Fluted Paleo-Indian Projectile Point From Belize, Central America

This report documents the finding of a fluted lanceolate point during the Belize Colha Project in 1981