Mandatory Sentencing Laws: Undermining the Effectiveness of Determinate Sentencing Reform

Mandatory Sentencing

Adam Graycar Director There is a widely held belief that the imposition of a mandatory sentence for a second or third offence will have a significant deterrent effect on that individual and will send a message to potential offenders. Advocates argue that it will bring consistency in sentencing and appease public concern about crime and punishment. This proposition has been debated vigorously in...

Fifteen Years after the Federal Sentencing Revolution: How Mandatory Minimums Have Undermined Effective and Just Narcotics Sentencing Perspectives on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Mandatory Sentencing

Retroactivity and Crack Sentencing Reform

Mandatory Minimum Penalties and the U.S. Sentencing Commission's "Mandatory Guidelines"

Thirty Years of Sentencing Reform: The Quest for a Racially Neutral Sentencing Process

As we approach the 21st century, the issue of racial discrimination in sentencing continues to evoke controversy and spark debate. Some researchers contend that crimes by racial minorities are punished more harshly than similar crimes by equally culpable whites; others argue that racial disparities in sentence severity reflect differences in crime seriousness, prior criminal record, and other l...