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Corrections Issues

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Submitted By alaskabacker
Words 1878
Pages 8
Correctional Issues
Janet Peralta, Latisha Smith, Michael Winters, Sarah Berry, Trent Neffendorf
CJA/394
November 24, 2014
Becky Killian-Willis

Correctional Issues
Introduction
The issues of mandatory sentencing have been affecting the prison forecasts, tax revenue, over-crowding in prisons, as well as flooding the court systems and backlogging cases. Mandatory prison sentences take the discretion away from prosecutors, as well as judges. An Inmate who is sentenced under a mandatory sentence does not qualify for early release, good time while in prison, and in most cases, the offender is not required to complete any supervision after release, due to the fact that he or she has fulfilled the obligations of his or her sentence. Several states, including the State of Oregon, have introduced legislation to reform their mandatory minimum sentences. With budgetary constraints in the volatile economy, the government cannot afford to continue to incarcerate individuals without the ability to modify sentences, supervision, etc.
How courts are affected by mandatory minimum sentences
Congress, as well as some of the state legislations introduced mandatory sentences in the 1970s and 1980s. These mandatory sentences forced the court system to hand down fixed prison sentences to those convicted of certain criminal acts. The lawmakers felt by enacting these sentences then it would help in the battle against the drug trade and hopefully prevent individuals from entering. However, while it did assist the courts in certain areas it has also been detrimental to the court system. According to "Prisonpolicy.org" (n.d.), the mandatory sentencing laws did six things they are: “1. Judges can’t consider the facts of each case. 2. The type and weight of a drug primarily determines sentence length. 3. They remove checks and balances. 4. They encourage and reward those who

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