Families Against Mandatory Minimums
concepts
crime policy
Mandatory minimum sentencing laws remove judges' discretion in the sentencing process by requiring a sentence of a specific length for a convicted individual when certain criteria have been met. For example, a federal conviction for possession of half a kilogram or more of powder cocaine leads to a mandatory sentence of at least 5 years in prison. [Source: Encyclopedia of Race and Crime; Mandatory Minimums]
mandatory minimums