Higher incarceration rates

Mandatory minimum sentences, passed by Congress or state legislatures, force judges to impose penalties in some situations. Critics say they have dramatically increased the number and duration of prison sentences. In one case, a woman received a life sentence in prison in connection with a box of drugs she said a boyfriend hid in her house. The judge admitted it was unfair to impose such a sentence, but his hands were tied by the law. Last year the Supreme Court took action against some forms of mandatory sentencing laws, ruling that it was unconstitutional to give mandatory life sentences without parole to juveniles convicted of murder. Courts must “consider the characteristics of a defendant and the details of his offense before sentencing,” wrote Justice Elena Kagan.