2 thoughts on “Problem Memo on Mandatory Minimum Sentencing”
Your introduction paragraph does a great job of laying out the structure of the paper, and you give a strong but brief background of the tangled history of the topic. I thought your quote of Judge Bennett saying, “I would have given him a year in rehab if I could” in addition to the statistics was very powerful and demonstrates just how controversial and important this issue is and that anyone could be greatly affected by the mandatory minimum sentences. You also do a good job of discussing multiple aspects of the law and its overreaching power–the prison costs, overcrowding in prisons, and racial inequality.
Mandatory sentencing is a major problem in our judicial system and your memo does an excellent job of bringing out some key statistics. The crack/cocaine differential in sentencing is one of the most glaring statistics of outright discrimination. To make your case even stronger I would include more statistics on the total number of minorities in prison because of minimum sentencing compared to whites. You can also discuss the forces that are in favor for minimum sentencing and how they play in the picture. Documenting private prisons role in lobbying for minimum sentencing because of self-interested motives that do reflect the public good, is a great starting point.
One final point that you can mention is the number of non-violent drug offenders that are put away because of minimum sentencing. I think the public has a perception that everyone in jail is some kind of violent gangbanger, giving a statistic of non-violent drug offenders in jail because of minimum sentencing will help refute this notion. Other than that, it was very interesting; maybe you can also play up the emotions, and go on to the number of minority children that have to grow up without a father figure and how this can affect their mental well-being.
Your introduction paragraph does a great job of laying out the structure of the paper, and you give a strong but brief background of the tangled history of the topic. I thought your quote of Judge Bennett saying, “I would have given him a year in rehab if I could” in addition to the statistics was very powerful and demonstrates just how controversial and important this issue is and that anyone could be greatly affected by the mandatory minimum sentences. You also do a good job of discussing multiple aspects of the law and its overreaching power–the prison costs, overcrowding in prisons, and racial inequality.
Mandatory sentencing is a major problem in our judicial system and your memo does an excellent job of bringing out some key statistics. The crack/cocaine differential in sentencing is one of the most glaring statistics of outright discrimination. To make your case even stronger I would include more statistics on the total number of minorities in prison because of minimum sentencing compared to whites. You can also discuss the forces that are in favor for minimum sentencing and how they play in the picture. Documenting private prisons role in lobbying for minimum sentencing because of self-interested motives that do reflect the public good, is a great starting point.
One final point that you can mention is the number of non-violent drug offenders that are put away because of minimum sentencing. I think the public has a perception that everyone in jail is some kind of violent gangbanger, giving a statistic of non-violent drug offenders in jail because of minimum sentencing will help refute this notion. Other than that, it was very interesting; maybe you can also play up the emotions, and go on to the number of minority children that have to grow up without a father figure and how this can affect their mental well-being.