NYSentencing

§ 1.05 General purposes.
    The general purposes of the provisions of this chapter are:
    1.  To  proscribe conduct which unjustifiably and inexcusably causes
or threatens substantial harm to individual or public interests;
    2.  To give fair warning of the nature of the conduct proscribed and
of the sentences authorized upon conviction;
    3.  To  define the act or omission and the accompanying mental state
which constitute each offense;
    4.  To differentiate on reasonable grounds between serious and minor
offenses and to prescribe proportionate penalties therefor;
    5.  To  provide  for  an  appropriate  public response to particular
offenses, including consideration of the consequences of the offense for
the victim, including the victim's family, and the community; and
  6. To insure  the  public  safety  by  preventing  the  commission  of
offenses  through  the  deterrent influence of the sentences authorized,
the rehabilitation of those convicted, the promotion of their successful
and  productive  reentry  and  reintegration  into  society,  and  their
confinement when required in the interests of public protection.