Is it time to end mandatory minimum sentences? Plenty of lawmakers think so.

[EddieDoyers]

Mandatory minimums — or predetermined prison sentences based on a type of crime — have led to an enormous prison population in American.
A large portion of people behind bars are serving these type of sentences, often for non-violent crimes associated with drug dealing.

View media item 1943751
These sentencing laws mean judges can’t determine how long somebody should be in prison based on the specific circumstances of the case. If a person commits a specific crime associated with drugs, firearms or immigration, it immediately triggers a minimum sentence.
Here’s an example of how mandatory minimums laws can stack up and lead to lengthy prison terms:

View media item 1943752 View media item 1943753
The price tag of incarceration in America, new research showing long prison terms don’t deter people from committing crimes and increased attention on alternatives is leading lawmakers to want to reform sentencing. The Smarter Sentencing Act, a bill sponsored by 25 Senators on both sides of the aisle, is working it’s way through Congress now. It would reduce mandatory minimums for drug crimes and is supposed to focus resources on only the most violent offenders.

View media item 1943754
Congress can just look to the states to see what happens when sentencing laws change.

View media item 1943755
Michigan eliminated mandatory minimums in 2002. The results are substantial:

View media item 1943756
If the federal government can reduce these minimum sentences, they’re looking at huge cost savings. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Smarter Sentencing Act would save the Justice Department $4 billion by 2024.

 

[combo gd]

My best friend got hit with the mandatory minimum of 25 for being convicted of robbing 2 banks with a gun.

He already had one gun charge prior to his conviction.

Nobody got hurt during any of his alleged crimes. 

His sentence was 41 years. 

He has already done 10. 

They are really going to keep him locked up. 

It's crazy. 

 

[rico x hood]

What's the point of this post? You already know where the majority of NT stands on this issue. It will devolve into a race thread with the usual suspects. So pointless.

 

[slicknick951]

My best friend got hit with the mandatory minimum of 25 for being convicted of robbing 2 banks with a gun.

He already had one gun charge prior to his conviction.

Nobody got hurt during any of his alleged crimes. 

His sentence was 41 years. 

He has already done 10. 

They are really going to keep him locked up. 

It's crazy. 

Im sorry but this example and the examples in the video are horrible

You telling me the guy who already got caught with a gun went and robbed not one but TWO banks and its crazy he got locked up for that long?

Whats a "fair" sentence 5 years? 10 years? So what he can come out and do the same thing again? How you gonna feel when a security officer who is doing their job pulls a gun and your boy kills him?

We need to stop with all these free my boy stuff. There are people in jail who are really innocent not these criminals. If he wants to live that life he has to deal with what comes with it.

 

[rillo561]

Yeah, definitely a bad example

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

Mandatory minimums are TRASH. The fact you can get more time selling weed than someone who molested a child is ridiculous.

 

[HEATHEN]

Excellent thread OP. I'm all for this.

 

[rook]

My best friend got hit with the mandatory minimum of 25 for being convicted of robbing 2 banks with a gun.

He already had one gun charge prior to his conviction.

Nobody got hurt during any of his alleged crimes. 

His sentence was 41 years. 

He has already done 10. 

They are really going to keep him locked up. 

It's crazy. 

Son..I'm sorry but

 

[dathbgboy]

Mandatory minimums are TRASH. The fact you can get more time selling weed than someone who molested a child is ridiculous.

Let's not forget the crack vs coke minimums. We can try to keep race out of threads like this but it's pretty difficult when you get down to the surface since most of these things were designed to target a certain demographic

 

[703 hwy]

Free Gucci

 

[snaggykicks]

Let's not forget the crack vs coke minimums. We can try to keep race out of threads like this but it's pretty difficult when you get down to the surface since most of these things were designed to target a certain demographic

 

[deuce king]

My best friend got hit with the mandatory minimum of 25 for being convicted of robbing 2 banks with a gun.

He already had one gun charge prior to his conviction.

Nobody got hurt during any of his alleged crimes. 

His sentence was 41 years. 

He has already done 10. 

They are really going to keep him locked up. 

It's crazy. 

By far the worst example to start off with to help make your case champ....by far. You're friend got exactly what he deserves and more importantly is right where he needs to be.

To answer OP....I VIOLENT crimes should possibly require mandatory minimum sentences.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

And you know what makes me sick, seeing these 60 minute specials with white "entrepreneurs" talking about the booming industry of legal marijuana. :x :x :x :x

and they are smiling with zero sense of shame talking about how profitable it is to sell weed.



Meanwhile mostly black and brown people are still rotting in jail.



Honestly if you want to start a legal weed business you should have to pay some reparations.

 

[$tatus $ymbol]

Yea you can't really argue in that case. Maybe if he had no priors but a gun charge before doesn't help at all.

 

[va757va]

[emoji]127926[/emoji] Real g shh man it's really unheard of/
When you get more time for selling dope than murder [emoji]127926[/emoji] -Jeezy


I hate to tell some of y'all, but this is 100% about race... Who do you think these mandatory minimums were made for?

 

[al audi]

Son..I'm sorry but

This smh

 

[360waves]

How convenient lighter sentences for the heroin epidemic. white power I tell ya

 

[360waves]

My best friend got hit with the mandatory minimum of 25 for being convicted of robbing 2 banks with a gun.

He already had one gun charge prior to his conviction.

Nobody got hurt during any of his alleged crimes. 

His sentence was 41 years. 

He has already done 10. 

They are really going to keep him locked up. 

It's crazy. 

everyone makes mistakes but he wanted that 41

 

[OBAMA]

My best friend got hit with the mandatory minimum of 25 for being convicted of robbing 2 banks with a gun.

He already had one gun charge prior to his conviction.

Nobody got hurt during any of his alleged crimes. 

His sentence was 41 years. 

He has already done 10. 

They are really going to keep him locked up. 

It's crazy. 

Tbh he knew what he was getting into

Better off trying to smoke 12 as soon as you see them in a situation like that

 

[Mark Antony]

there are better examples than a career criminal, no need to even stretch that far.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

You guys want to make fun of Combo gd's example. but he raises a salient point...

what are we doing this for if we aren't in the business of rehabilitation?



Like you don't think 10-15 years is enough of a deterrent for armed robbery? Any longer than that then whats the point? he didn't kill anyone.

Do you think if while he was im prison, and he got some type of training for a job, he would get out and still commit armed robbery? really.



If you're going to put someone away for 41 years you might as well execute them.

 

[$tatus $ymbol]

^^ gun charge should've been a deterrent from robbing someone. I'm as big of a critic of the justice system as anybody but you gotta draw the line somewhere.

 

[rook]

He did it twice tho man. ARMED. I'm sorry man but idc. I believe in 2nd chances and rehabilitation but I ain't tryna hear it in his case

He's a threat to society.

 

[seandon23]

You guys want to make fun of Combo gd's example. but he raises a salient point...

what are we doing this for if we aren't in the business of rehabilitation?



Like you don't think 10-15 years is enough of a deterrent for armed robbery? Any longer than that then whats the point? he didn't kill anyone.

Do you think if while he was im prison, and he got some type of training for a job, he would get out and still commit armed robbery? really.



If you're going to put someone away for 41 years you might as well execute them.

He should've known better after the first gun charge while I agree that our criminal justice system should do more in the form of rehabilitating rather than punishment, dude's example was bad lol

 

[osh kosh bosh]

He did it twice tho man. ARMED. I'm sorry man but idc. I believe in 2nd chances and rehabilitation but I ain't tryna hear it in his case

He's a threat to society.

so execute him.

but 41 years is a cop out. imo

Obviosuly he has to go to jail. but I don't understand the point of 41 years.


This boils down what should the priority of prisons be. how should we order these?;

Deterent
Rehabilitation
Punishment
Societal threat

Imo punishment is last should be last on the list.