Preview

Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Minimums

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
224 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Minimums
Mandatory minimums are laws which require automatic prison terms for certain crimes, such as drug possession. These laws were passed to ensure that individual criminals served long prison sentences. However, there some critics that have voiced their concerns about mandatory minimum penalties in the United States. The biggest complaint about mandatory minimum sentences is that they are unfair. A judge does not have the authority to tailor the sentence to the specific facts. Therefore, someone who was an unimportant part of a drug conspiracy might be stuck with the same minimum sentence as someone who was the ringleader behind the crime. Mandatory sentencing laws also do not allow plea bargains, so even if the prosecutor
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Essay On Mandatory Minimums
    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Mandatory Minimums

    Think about that.” Mandatory minimums are an outdated, destructive policy that the U.S. never has, and never will need. In order to reform our criminal justice system, and ensure that the people who go to prison are there for a time that’s proportional to the crime they commit, we must get rid of mandatory minimums. Aside from the harm they cause to the prisoner, law-abiding American taxpayers are burdened by the unnecessary cost of keeping people in prisons for much longer than is needed. Of course, mandatory minimums are far from the only problem within the U.S. criminal justice system, however, abolishing these ridiculous laws will help thousands of current American prisoners, as well as innumerable future offenders. Overall, mandatory minimum sentencing policy must be ended in the near future, should America hold true to its values of “freedom and justice for…

    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Mandatory Minimum Sentencing

    Another contrast between cigarettes and cannabis, is that cannabis has medicinal properties. The most common use for marijuana in medicine is to diminish the effects of chemotherapy on cancer patients. The two most familiar components of marijuana to the medical industry is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC and cannabidiol or CBD. Both THC and CBD are noted in the US Patent # 6630507 as having antioxidant properties and being useful in treatment of side effects “caused by oxidative stress” such as chemotherapy (Hampson). Chemotherapy is the method of treating cancer in which you kill or stunt the growth of cells, in order to eliminate the cancerous ones. The possible side effects include headaches, pain from nerve damage, nausea, and vomiting. THC…

    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Arrest
    • 147 Words
    • 1 Page

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Arrest

    Mandatory arrest for domestic violence calls is to ensure the safety of the victim from the alleged offender. I think this policy impacts the community significantly depending on the situation and the severity of the allegations. The pros of arrest for domestic violence calls ensure safety for the victim, family members and the community. The cons wit this issue is often times there are false allegations made and lack of sufficient evidence but because of policy a person must be placed under arrest. This can negatively impact a person’s life in many ways. They can lose their jobs and not get jobs because of their offenses. I would be against this policy because there isn’t always sufficient evidence leading one person to being the main aggressor…

    • 147 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Dui Being A Mandatory Jail
    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page

    Pros And Cons Of Dui Being A Mandatory Jail

    From viewing your discussion board you have a great start on an argumentive essay. I would have to disagree with DUI or OWI being a mandatory jail. Experiences that I’ve encountered being in the criminial justice field of study is some offenses don’t need jail time with a first time offense of an dui or owi, they need some rehibilition assistance by a professional to prove that they can remain sober on being on probation. Acaution that comes to mind is not everyone lives in Texas. The main point one isn’t really related to you theisis some people would gather the information thinking if a drivers resulting in a owi gets their license suspended for 3 to 5 years the law would be revoked due to the ignition interlock law. Second…

    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Mass Incarceration Research Paper
    • 1480 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Mass Incarceration Research Paper

    “mandatory minimum sentencing means a person convicted of a crime must be imprisoned for a…

    • 1480 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros and Cons of Sentencing Guidelines and Mandatory Minimum Sentences
    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pros and Cons of Sentencing Guidelines and Mandatory Minimum Sentences

    Mandatory minimum sentences are another method that was designed to limit judicial discretion while maintaining a “get tough on crime” approach. Mandatory sentences are sentences where all people convicted of certain crimes will be punished equally with a set minimum prison term. I believe the intentions were good when these reforms went into place. I think the intended purpose was to get tough on crime, eliminate bias on the part of the judge, to make criminals think twice about breaking the law, and provide equal punishment to all criminals who commit the same crimes. Unfortunately these sentence guidelines do not allow a judge to take into consideration the first time offender, differentiate the deviance level of the offender, and it does not allow for the judge to tailor a punishment to each individual case. The “drug war” they were trying to control with these sentences has had a backfire effect. The drug lords they were trying to stop are not the ones being affected by the sentences; it is the nonviolent, low-level drug users who are overcrowding the prisons as a result of these sentences.…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Mandatory Minimum Sentences Pros And Cons
    • 1639 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Mandatory Minimum Sentences Pros And Cons

    Those in support of MMS state that they keep the justice system fair and safe from radical judges and juries who’s views on sentencing will vary greatly for each individual; therefore, actually preventing disparities. MMS are a powerful deterrent that prosecutors can use against the accused to get plea bargains and information on those higher in the drug organizations; however, those opposed say that MMS cases have no advantage when it comes to cooperation rates because most who are arrested are low level offenders who are not affiliated or know little about the organization (Mandatory Minimum sentencing 1). This means it is usually those who are higher up the chain- those who are doing the more serious crimes- that end up getting their sentences cut…

    • 1639 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty
    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

    The debate on the pros and cons of the death penalty has gone on for decades. There are some people who oppose the death penalty because they fell it is a system that is so flawed that it serves no purpose. For instance, those against the death penalty believe that this sentence has the potential for an error because it is possible that the wrong person can be executed. Unfortunately, there is no way for those who decide who is guilty to always be 100 percent accurate.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty
    • 100 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

    The death penalty is used universally, in developed countries, as well as, in undeveloped countries. The death penalty is used more for retribution and retaliation than it is for justice. The death penalty does not deter crime effectively, it is incompatible with human rights and human dignity, used against minorities and the poor, and there is always the risk of executing innocent people. Its easy to agree to the death penalty when the accused is not someone you know...bu what if the accused was your son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister? Would you still be for the death penalty?…

    • 100 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
    • 1908 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing

    I do not believe that the ends justify the means when it comes to mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses. The reason for enacting these laws was to try and deter crime, but research has shown that harsher punishments does not lead to a decrease in crime rates. Incarcerating people for drug offenses is not an effective way to combat drug crimes. The space in prisons, and funds used to fight drug crimes should both be focused more on violent…

    • 1908 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Death Penalty Pros And Cons
    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page

    Death Penalty Pros And Cons

    Some pros to the death penalty are that it protects innocent people and that the death penalty serves as a deterrent. Sentencing convicted murderers with the death penalty we are protecting inmates, guards, and people outside the prison. If we do not sentence convicted murderers with the death penalty and instead sentence them with life we are giving them the opportunity to murder while in prison. A statistic shows that by executing convicted murderers we are saving from three to eighteen innocent lives. The death penalty serves as a deterrent because without the death penalty there would be a lot more murderers. This is so because a lot of people do not commit murder in fear of the death penalty and those who have committed murder would…

    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Arguments Against Mandatory Sentencing
    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Arguments Against Mandatory Sentencing

    There are many different argument both for and against mandatory minimum drug sentencing. However there are more arguments against mandatory minimum drug sentencing then there are for the support of the mandatory sentencing. One of the biggest arguments against mandatory minimum drug sentencing is that it was originally intended to target the higher level drug dealers but the majority of the cases have only been low level drug dealers. One of the other arguments is that will cause the jail systems to become overcrowded and that if is unfair.…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Mandatory Sentencing
    • 170 Words
    • 1 Page

    Examples Of Mandatory Sentencing

    For example, mandatory sentencing usually is imposed on offenders with drug and weapons charges and do not allow parole, but credit for good time. Unfortunately, expressed by several judges, they dislike the idea of having the sentencing guidelines.…

    • 170 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Against Mandatory Minimums
    • 390 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Against Mandatory Minimums

    This movie brought about a sobering reality of both families who have been affected by drugs, and the offenders behind bars for drug offenses. Yet I was somewhat disturbed by the small-town marshal in Magdalena New Mexico, Larry Curly who seemed to have a troublesome viewpoint towards police profiling. He called it “fishing” and blatantly admitted he was illegally profiling possible suspects who may be involved in drug trafficking. He denoted that all cops are phony and that they certainly profile individuals by their car and physicality. Yet he also stated that he tries to portray himself as a hero with “his white and and piece of silver.” I feel like this cop is a disgrace to the Criminal Justice system, for he contradicts himself. Yet it's important to mention he had one thing right by admitting how in-genuine him and other officers…

    • 390 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Enforcing The Death Penalty
    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of Enforcing The Death Penalty

    Murder is defined as the killing of one human being by another. Murderers should receive the death penalty, unless self-defense was a following factor. The killing of an innocent human being should never be something someone gets away with; no one should have to right to live after taking the life of another. However, the death penalty is known to be a “lethal lottery” and is applied at random. Therefore, I believe separate institutions should be constructed throughout the United States to separate average criminals from murderers.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics