Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Research Paper

Words: 410
Pages: 2
Open Document
Mandatory minimum sentencing required a judge to give a minimal term for people that were convicted of a certain crime; regardless of what part the individual played in the crime. The sentencing that was given was determined on what type of drug it was, what the drug weighed, and if the person that committed the crime had any prior convictions. It was required that the offenders serve their entire sentence without parole; in some states a minimum of 85 percent was required. "Under federal law, for example, anyone convicted of selling 500 grams of powder cocaine received a minimum prison sentence of five years" (Levinthal, 2012).
The sentencing could be lowered if the offender provided substantial assistance in the prosecution of another defender.
Show More

Related Documents: Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Research Paper

Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Research Paper

punishment and the procedural rules for the criminal process. Mandatory minimum sentencing has always been an integral part of the legal sentencing process in Canada. Over the decades various amendments and challenges have been imposed on the procedure of sentencing. The principle of mandatory minimum sentencing provides crime-control strategies, eliminates judicial bias, and provides a coherent guideline for justices in sentencing. “According to s. 718.1 sentences should be proportionate to the…

Words 262 - Pages 2

Sentencing In The 20th Century

system during the late 20th Century were the revolution of the sentencing system. Known as mandatory minimum sentencing, Congress in 1984 enacted a mechanism that replaced indeterminate sentencing with a determinate federal sentencing. Judicial discretion were now restricted and were instructed to follow a specific guideline when determining sentencing. The judge would impose strict and harsh federal sentencing based off a sentencing table the judge would use to calculate a sentence based off the…

Words 371 - Pages 2

Kaplan Unit 3 Paper

December 10, 2012 In this assignment I will define indeterminate and determinate sentencing. I will also support an argument that will be effective for addressing a crime. Finally I will summarize my assessment of the sentencing models. Indeterminate sentencing is the legal…

Words 1494 - Pages 6

Criminal Justice Literature Review

April 27, 2010 Criminal Justice Research Literature Review During the late 1980’s the United States Government declared a “War on Drugs,” which imposed strict mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders. These mandatory sentences were initially imposed for the purposes of thwarting drug traffickers and deterring drug use across America. Since the inception of mandatory drug minimums in 1987 and 1988, incarceration rates for drug offenders have sky rocketed, from 39 percent of the overall…

Words 1536 - Pages 7

Essay about America Has the Most Number of Prison in the World

Term Paper America has 3 percent of the world’s population but over 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. The united states have more prisoners and inmates than any other country in the civilized world. The United States imprisons around 730 in every 100,000 people. There are currently around 2.2 million people behind bars, equal to a city the size of Houston. There are 4,575 prisons running in the United States, more than four times the number of Russia which is currently in second place…

Words 1669 - Pages 7

Literatuire review Essay

analyses provide insight on minorities’ differential treatment in the judicial system causing severe sentencing disparities. Racial Disparity in Sentencing In the study Patterns of Death: An Analysis of Racial Disparities in Capital Sentencing and Homicide victimization, the authors Samuel Gross and Robert Mauro examine the effect race plays in Capital Sentencing. This study observes 8 states sentencing of capital punishment under the post-Furman death penalty laws. The 8 states used in the study were…

Words 4273 - Pages 18

Marijuana: Hemp and First-offense Marijuana Possession Essay

both sides of the topic. Can legalization lead to more of an addiction problem in our country or is it a “safe” drug that can help people with certain ailments live a better life? The debate for both sides has good points and bad points. In this paper, I will look at different scenarios and list the pros and cons of both the legalization of marijuana or keeping it an illegal drug. In the 1600’s, American’s made hemp for rope, sails, and clothing. Marijuana is the mixture of dried, shredded flowers…

Words 643 - Pages 3

Effects of the United States Failed War on Drugs Policy Essay

the citizens in the United States, thus increasing the population of drug offenders in prisons compared to African-Americans. Although the United States deny claims of racial bias against minorities and imposing harsh mandatory minimums prison sentences for drug offenses, research suggest otherwise. Lower socio-economic citizens and ethnic minorities are suffering at the strict punishment imposed by the war on drugs. The war on drugs was followed by strict crime control policies implemented at the…

Words 4545 - Pages 19

Penology Paper

inmate and officer safety, financial aspects, and dyfunctionality in prisons. Recidivism rates are high because inmates have virtually no means of bettering themselves as overcrowding causes prison programs get cut or them being waitlisted. This paper will address these issues and also a few solutions on how to fix the growing problem America’s prisons face. America’s period of the “War on Crime”, beginning in the early 1970s, brought many new policies to the American penal system. Most…

Words 2952 - Pages 12

Crime and New Law Essay

offenders are thought to be responsible for a majority of crimes. The most thorough study of recidivism, done in 1986 by the National Research Council, produced the estimate that active violent offenders” probably commit two to four violent crimes a year, while “active nonviolent offenders” were responsible for five to 10 property crimes a year. In this paper, the beginnings of the law with a description of the policy will be given in the introduction, and the following questions will be studied:…

Words 6463 - Pages 26