According to Mary Price, a lawyer for an advocacy group against mandatory minimums: “Over the past several years, the tone of the discussion about incarceration has changed dramatically. We have come to the realization that our punitive approach to drug crimes is not working and has produced significant injustices” (qtd in Horwitz). Changing America’s approach to crime, specifically drug crimes, and incarceration would allow the country to reduce spending, and overcrowding in prisons. Changing the way nonviolent drug crimes are charged and sentenced would also help reduce overcrowding, and make room for people who committed violent crimes.
According to Molly Gill, “Lengthy mandatory minimum sentences are cruel, inhumane, and degrading because …show more content…
Basing sentencing on only a few factors that don’t necessarily reflect the entire situation means that the sentence is often overly harsh, and makes it hard for people to fight unfair charges. Using mandatory minimum sentences can end up having unintended consequences: “These one-size-fits-all sentencing statutes that were intended to deter crime and punish big-time criminals often backfire, giving drug addicts and small-time offenders enormous sentences” (Gill 1). Using a one size fits all approach means that the people who are committing the largest or most violent crimes are punished less severely than those who are committing smaller or less violent …show more content…
population has grown by about a third, but the federal prison population has increased by about 800 percent and federal prisons are operating at nearly 40 percent overcapacity, Justice officials said” (Horwitz 1). Currently, “The United States has a quarter of the world’s prison population and both Republicans and Democrats agree that prison spending, which accounts for a third of the Justice Department’s budget, needs to be reduced” (Schmidt 1). In Washington,“a bipartisan group of powerful senators last week proposed a broad overhaul of the existing system for imposing mandatory minimum sentences…” (Schmidt 1). The legislation “would shorten the length of mandatory sentences for repeat drug offenders and would end the federal “three strikes” mandatory life provision”(Lowery 1). The bill would also allow “low-level drug offenders to be sentenced to less time than currently dictated under existing mandatory terms” (Lowery 1). Changing how mandatory minimum sentences are used, and even getting rid of them for nonviolent crimes would help keep crowding and spending down. There would be no minimum sentencing requirements needed for a certain crime, which means fewer people in prison, and thus less
According to Molly Gill, “Lengthy mandatory minimum sentences are cruel, inhumane, and degrading because …show more content…
Basing sentencing on only a few factors that don’t necessarily reflect the entire situation means that the sentence is often overly harsh, and makes it hard for people to fight unfair charges. Using mandatory minimum sentences can end up having unintended consequences: “These one-size-fits-all sentencing statutes that were intended to deter crime and punish big-time criminals often backfire, giving drug addicts and small-time offenders enormous sentences” (Gill 1). Using a one size fits all approach means that the people who are committing the largest or most violent crimes are punished less severely than those who are committing smaller or less violent …show more content…
population has grown by about a third, but the federal prison population has increased by about 800 percent and federal prisons are operating at nearly 40 percent overcapacity, Justice officials said” (Horwitz 1). Currently, “The United States has a quarter of the world’s prison population and both Republicans and Democrats agree that prison spending, which accounts for a third of the Justice Department’s budget, needs to be reduced” (Schmidt 1). In Washington,“a bipartisan group of powerful senators last week proposed a broad overhaul of the existing system for imposing mandatory minimum sentences…” (Schmidt 1). The legislation “would shorten the length of mandatory sentences for repeat drug offenders and would end the federal “three strikes” mandatory life provision”(Lowery 1). The bill would also allow “low-level drug offenders to be sentenced to less time than currently dictated under existing mandatory terms” (Lowery 1). Changing how mandatory minimum sentences are used, and even getting rid of them for nonviolent crimes would help keep crowding and spending down. There would be no minimum sentencing requirements needed for a certain crime, which means fewer people in prison, and thus less