The history of mandatory sentencing laws is long and varied. Since the founding of the country, the idea of swift and certain punishment has been popular with lawmakers and the public, though in practice, mandatory sentencing laws have never accomplished their intended goals of eliminating crime and drug abuse. Like the latest fashion or trend, mandatory sentencing laws come and go with the "crime du jour," resulting in inconsistent application, disproportionate impact on people of color and the poor, and eventually, reform.
Explore the history of mandatory sentencing in two ways:
- Click here to download a one-page summary of modern mandatory sentencing laws (pdf format.)
- Download FAMM's article on the repeal of federal mandatory sentences in the 1970s and how history may be repeating itself today.
- Download FAMM's report, "Correcting Course: Lessons from the 1970s Repeal of Mandatory Minimum Sentences"