Mandatory Sentencing for Nonviolent Drug Charges

Mandatory Sentencing for Nonviolent Drug Charges

Shonetta English

AIU Online

Abstract

Mandatory sentencing in nonviolent drug cases should be ended. Nonviolent drug offenders are sentenced with way too much time. Nonviolent drug offenders should be given some kind of treatment or rehab while in prison so that when they are released they would have a better chance at living. Sentencing for nonviolent and violent drug cases should not be sentenced under the same guideline.

Mandatory Sentencing for Nonviolent Drug Charges

Mandatory sentencing was once America’s law and order sentencing through nonviolent drug crimes which is an insult to justice. Mandatory sentencing in nonviolent drug cases should be ended because the sentencing is too harsh for the crime when other criminals like murderers, child molesters, and kidnappers get less time for their charges all because of the mandatory sentencing guidelines. Nonviolent drug criminals are more likely to better themselves with a second chance but with the mandatory sentencing they may get discouraged. Both nonviolent and violent drug cases and violent drug cases are sentenced under the same guideline when it comes to the three-strike law. Mandatory sentencing for nonviolent drug charges should be ended.

First, nonviolent drug criminals are given too much time for the crime committed. In many cases sex offenders, child molesters, and murderers are given less prison time than drug offender. “Gregory Pathiakis of Middlebury, Massachusetts, a former high school teacher, had his entire two and a half year sentence suspended after pleading guilty to one count of child rape, one count of enticement of a child under sixteen, and five counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of distribution of material (Hannity & Colmes, 2006). On the other hand, you have someone who has been selling a great amount of cocaine and the federal government pick up the case and get twenty-five years in prison...