Why do some people criticize mandatory sentencing?

Question

Why do some people criticize mandatory sentencing?

Answer 1

If there were mandatory sentencing, there would be everyone going to trial and the system would collapse immediately. Most people are accused and convicted of drug and booze crimes. If the system had to wait for the cops to catch a real criminal, they would do better to close the court and turn it into a shoe store.

Answer 2

Don't think it criticizing.

Trying to solve the mess.

Trying to understand what cause the culprit to behave in such a manner.

Trying to trace what went wrong in reducing the mess.

Not just throwing everyone in the slammer without being aware on what went wrong.

Look in the real world how it's getting bad to worse.

With the slammers being over run by them.

In time we better swap places with them.

We  stay in with maximum security and they stay out.

Look how we live in misery in own backyards.

Luke 9.55-56

What do you think?

Answer 3

Beause it is not fair.

Answer 4

If a person has committed a crime they have no reason to surrender, the sentence will be the same if they continue to break the law, it doesn't matter how many people you kill if you receive the same sentence for 1 or 101.

Answer 5

Because it forces judges to ignore the specific circumstances of the case and instead apply a cookie-cutter to ever crime.  Even if the entire courtroom knows that jail would be inappropriate in a given case, mandatory sentencing forces the judge's hand.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court recently ruled that federal sentencing guidelines are ONLY guidelines, and that Congress can't dictate to the Courts in that fashion.

Answer 6

Because it means that trial lawyers can't plea bargain cases, and they ultimately make less money because they have to actually take the case to court, which means they can take fewer cases.