Mandatory Minimums Should Not Be Mandatory - 911 Words

Those who oppose mandatory minimums argue that longer sentences cost too much, are ineffective in reducing drug related crimes, and do not allow for lenience in extenuating circumstances. The average cost of keeping a single prisoner incarcerated in federal prison for a year is approximately $30,619.85 (Prisons Bureau, and Department of Justice), multiply that number by the typical five years in prison mandatory minimum policy demands for minor drug crimes as well as multiplying it by the approximate 93,262 inmates currently in prison for drug crimes (Federal Bureau of Prisons) and the cost of long sentences required by mandatory minimums starts to add up. In addition to the economical problems mandatory minimums contribute to, some adversaries suggest that mandatory minimums may not even be effective, particularly in regards to reducing drug related crimes. In many organized drug operations when one drug supplier is caught and incarcerated another swiftly takes his place (Caulkins, Jonathan P). Furthermore, social scientists and public policy analysts researching the effectiveness of mandatory minimums have found there to be little conclusive evidence that mandatory minimums do in fact reduce crime (The United States Sentencing Commission). Another concern mandatory minimums pose is the lack of individualized sentencing. As previously mentioned when discussing the positive aspects of mandatory minimums some view consistency of sentencing as a favorable product of mandatoryShow MoreRelatedShould The Minimum Sentencing Be Mandatory?1797 Words   |  8 Pagesfor years at a time instead of getting the help that they need, and judges cannot do anything about it. Mandatory minimum sentencing has taken away judges’ discretion and often lay heavy sentencing. Drug offenses often receive heavier sentences than they should due to the use of mandatory minimums leaving people to question the fairness of the justice system. The use of mandatory minimums when sentencing drug offenses wrongfully incarcerates the convicted for longer than necessary rather thanRead MoreShould Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Be Legal?3705 Words   |  15 Pagesthere’s an ancient debate about judicial discretion in sentencing.† Propo nents argue that mandatory minimum sentencing can place a significant hardship on correctional budgets while at the same time, threatening an increase of an inmate’s claim that their rights pursuant to the Eighth Amendment protection of cruel and unusual punishment have been violated. Opponents of fixed sentencing tend to posit that mandatory (determinate) sentencing can act as a deterrent, which can equate to a reduction in overallRead MoreMandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws Should Be Legal1150 Words   |  5 Pagesuse of mandatory minimum sentencing laws to keep drug offenders locked up for longer than they should be. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws are laws that require binding prison terms of a particular length for people convicted of certain federal and state crimes. Most mandatory minimum sentences apply to drug offenses, but Congress has enacted them for other crimes, including certain gun, pornography, and economic offenses. For the purpose of this paper, the focus will be on the mandatory minimumRead MoreMandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws Should Be Legal Essay1217 Words   |  5 PagesMandatory minimum sentencing laws entail binding prison terms to a certain length for people who have been convicted of state or federal crimes. These intransigent, â€Å"universally adaptable† sentencing laws may seem like an easy and quick solution for crime. However, these laws prevent judges from suiting the punishment to the criminal according to their offenses. Mandatory minimum sentencing causes not only state but federal prisons to overcrowd, extortionate tax costs, and deflect from law enfor cementRead MoreMandatory Minimums And The United States Justice System1007 Words   |  5 Pagessystem is prominent. Mandatory minimums are just one example the of injustice in our justice system. The Supreme Court has â€Å"†¦casted doubt on the constitutionality of the federal sentencing guidelines used for nearly two decades† (Kenneth Jost, 2004), despite this, nothing has been done to correct it. And while the idea of mandatory minimums is a good thing, they don’t work in the American justice system or in current American society. Mandatory minimum sentencing is the minimum time for certain crimesRead MorePros And Cons Of Mandatory Minimum Sentences1008 Words   |  5 PagesMandatory minimum sentences are court decisions where judicial discretion is limited by law. Usually when people are convicted of certain crimes they must be punished with at least a minimum number of years in prison. The article I picked to review is an article on mandatory minimum sentences. The article reviews the pros and cons of mandatory sentencing. I will go over the pros and cons described in the article and give my opinion on how I feel about them. Staring with the pros of mandatoryRead MoreMandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws For Drug Offences1089 Words   |  5 Pagesthe most notable being mandatory minimum sentencing laws for drug offences. This issue has been extensively researched by Kieran Riley with an article in the Boston University Law Journal titled â€Å"Trial by Legislature: Why Statutory Mandatory Minimum Sentences Violate the Separation of Powers Doctrine†, Paul Cassell and Erik Luna with a peer-reviewed scholarly article titled â€Å"Sense and Sensibility in Mandatory Minimum Sentencing†, and the Families Against Mandatory Minimums organization with a policyRead MoreThe Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws1528 Words   |  7 Pagescould vary. To have unvaried penalties, mandatory minimum sentencing laws were enacted. These laws help keep citizens protected, while criminals are incarcerated. John Oliver, the host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, talks about how mandatory minimum sentencing increa ses the number of criminals incarcerated, and he believes the length of their prison time is longer than it should be. He shows videos of criminals who were convicted under the mandatory minimum law with drug crimes. These videos explainRead MoreGetting Rid Of The Mandatory Essay1750 Words   |  7 PagesGetting Rid of the Mandatory There are several different ways a judge can hand down a punish for a crime that a person commits. A first-time drug offender would be required to either enter a rehab program or serve a prison term. One of the most disproportionate way is to sentence a first-time offender is by immediately handing down a lengthy but mandatory 10-year prison term for just having a few ounces of any type of drug. Mandatory minimum sentencing is defined as that if an offender is convictedRead MoreThe Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws1613 Words   |  7 PagesCurrent mandatory minimum sentencing laws are in dire need of reform. A mandatory minimum sentence is a court decision where judicial discretion is limited by law. As a result, there are irrevocable prison terms of a specific length for people convicted of particular federal and state crimes. As of January 2014, more than 50 percent of inmates in federal prisons are serving time for drug offenses, and more than 60 percent of people incarcerated ar e racial and ethnic minorities. The use of safety