Mandatory sentencing

were public enemy number one. The actions and rhetoric used by President Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton played a very integral part in how we ended up with the phenomenon that plagues our country today, mass incarceration. From the “War on Drugs”, mandatory minimum…

the Constitution. Black males are twelve times more likely to be incarcerated than white males for drug offenses despite rates of drug use being virtually the same between the two races (Racial Inequity and Drug Arrests). Different policies like mandatory minimums and “three strikes and you’re out” disproportionately affected black communities as well. These policies allowed and continue to allow the government to keep a large amount of black americans in a position of second class citizens.…

Everyone has been saying that our criminal justice system needs to be reformed and yet there hasn’t been much action taken on reform. In order to bring more equality between men and women, there needs to be change in the criminal justice system. The best way to ensure that men and women of all races are treated the same as in the criminal justice system is to not let the defendant in the court. If the judge and jury don’t see, hear or know the name of who they are convicting they won’t…

Over the past few decades, the United States has contributed to the substantial war on drugs and its impact has continued to affect many people in more than one way. Unfortunately, it is a war that has focused its efforts on the criminalization of drug use and distribution. It has certainly not eradicated the mass destruction that has been marked in communities around the United States and globally. There is an obvious correlation between drugs, racial justice, and aspects that reach beyond…

firearms in a gravel pit with the intent to hurt people, hid from police and when being arrested made it extremely difficult for the officers. Deterrence to prevent Ryan from re-offending was taking into account. Specifically Ryan received a lifetime mandatory firearms prohibition from his dangerous actions. Although he could steal…

When the legal system of the English common law emerged, it declared that the King had the ultimate authority over children; thus, children were assets. Throughout centuries, children were considered “little adults,” and “property,” consequently, exploitation of children as laborers was a customary occurrence. Child labor, unfortunately, was a necessity for families who suffered from severe poverty (Davin, 2008). During colonial times, children were perceived as “property of the parents,”…

Each year the CCA, MTC and the Geo Group spend thousands of dollars in lobbying the state legislature in Austin for everything from stricter minimum sentencing laws to new contracts to build more facilities. Henceforth Texas has the largest prison population in the country coupled with some of the highest recidivism rates in the country, especially amongst minorities. Additionally these corporations along…

Ever since we were kids we were taught the difference from right and wrong. We were taught of consequences and the ability to make choices; choices that will either lead to a better future or to a future of despair. There are many situations in life that could lead someone to commit a violent crime. The important question in trying a child as an adult would be: Was this crime your only choice? Children under the age of adulthood that commit violent crimes, such as taking someone else’s life…

determine if a person is guilty or innocent or appoint a judge to decide the final verdict of the accused by following the laws set up by the legal system. The legal system in America, unfortunately, is not always just. In particular, mandatory minimum sentencing laws dictate the punishment an individual receives for the crime committed, regardless of the judge’s opinion on the specific case. John Horner is an example where the justice system failed him. Horner sold a friend, who turned out to…

Thesis and Title: Animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect are a huge problem. In the US pet ownership has traditionally been a choice and a right of every citizen. The abuse of this privilege has to lead to activism on the part of people who care that these animals are helplessly mistreated and abused, even killed on a daily basis. The ASPCA says, "Animal cruelty can be either deliberate abuse or simply the failure to take care of an animal. Either way, and whether the animal is a pet, a farm…