Mandatory sentence

One reason for this explosion in the prison population was the growing popularity of mandatory sentencing laws. However, critics argued that it was not only unjust but uneconomical to lock someone up for five years for growing marijuana plants, for example. 

If that same first-time offender had been convicted of possessing powder cocaine—the offender would need 500 grams of powder to trigger the same mandatory sentence. In other words, the offender could possess 100 times as much powder cocaine as crack cocaine. Five hundred grams is over one pound and would fill a cereal bowl. It is the equivalent of 10,000 doses suitable for snorting or dissolving in water and injecting. 

Federal Trafficking Penalties, which are outlined in the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988, make a significant distinction between powder cocaine and crack cocaine. A first-time offender convicted for possession of 5 -9 grams of crack cocaine will receive a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and not more than 40 years. Fines for individuals can be up to 2 million. The federal mandatory minimum sentences for powder cocaine begin at 500—4,999 grams and trigger the same sentence. Penalties for convicted second-time offenders are a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years to life, with fines up to 4 million. This law is often referred to... 

The legal penalties for LSD possession in the United States are severe. Possession of 1 to 9 grams (a dollar bill weighs approximately 1 gram) can lead to a mandatory sentence of five to 40 years in jail and a fine up to 2 million. Sentences are even stiffer for possession of higher doses, for repeated offenses, or for providing LSD that leads to serious injury or death. The most severe LSD-related penalty for an individual is life in prison and up to 8 million in fines. 

Marijuana is being harvest in huge amounts in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Recently, the mandatory sentence for growers and traffickers has been increased, and laws are being enforced more vigorously. 

In 1951, Congress passed the Boggs Act which created mandatory sentences of 2 years for first offenses and prohibited suspended sentences or probation for subsequent convictions. Harsher penalties were imposed with the passage of the Narcotics Control Act of 1956. This bill dramatically elevated sentences for drug... 

By 1950, a number of follow-up studies of addicts following treatment seemed to establish that, consistently, 80 percent or more reverted to drug use within a few years (O Donnell 1965). In 1951, Congress passed the Boggs Act, which introduced the first mandatory minimum sentencing requirements for drug trafficking. These penalties were further stiffened by the 1956 Narcotic Control Act. In the classic era of... 

Mandatory federal sentences for drug abuse and trafficking are imposed by the Boggs Act. 

Calkins, Jonathan P., et al. Mandatory Minimum Sentences Throwing Away the Key or the Taxpayers Money , Santa Monica RAND, 1997. The authors attempt to calculate the cost-effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences for crimes related to cocaine distribution. This sentencing policy is compared to normal sentencing (without minimums) and to drug treatment. The conclusion is that mandatory minimum sentences are the least cost-effective policy, with drug treatment being the best investment of public expendimres. 

United States Congress passes Anti-Drug Abuse Act. This federal law includes mandatory minimum sentences for first-time offenders with harsher penalties for possession of crack cocaine than powder cocaine. 

In the 1970s there was a resurgence of powder cocaine use. This preceded the epidemic of crack cocaine in the 1980s. Because crack cocaine is cheaper than powder, it became more readily available to the young and the poor. Crack addiction and crime began to increase rapidly and this increase was publicized in the media. In response to public concern, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988 was passed. Known sometimes as the 100 1 law, this federal law includes mandatory minimum sentences for first-time offenders. The penalties are much harsher for possession of crack cocaine than powder cocaine. 

According to the Federal Trafficking Penalties, a first-time offender convicted of possessing five grams of crack cocaine, will receive a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison without parole. Five grams of crack cocaine, which can fit into a tablespoon, can be broken into 50-200 rocks to be smoked. 

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988 established federal mandatory minimum drug sentencing guidelines. The punishment exacted by the federal law is substantially greater than the punishment imposed by most state laws. For example, someone convicted of cocaine possession that receives a 12-year sentence in the state system may be liable for a mandatory life term if tried in the federal system. Also, most state laws do not differentiate between powder cocaine and crack cocaine. Federal law carries a much harsher penalty for crack than for powder. Possession of five grams of crack or 500... 

This time, it was the 1980s epidemic fueled by crack. In 1986, the death of two promising young athletes, Len Bias and Don Rogers, added to public outrage. The new laws differentiated between powder cocaine and crack and were much harsher on the latter. These laws require 100 times as much powder cocaine possession as crack to trigger an identical minimum mandatory prison sentence. Ongoing controversy surrounds this law. Several bills have been introduced to reduce the disparity, but none have been passed into law as of early 2002. 

First-time offenders who possess 400 g or more of fentanyl or 100 g or more of an analog can receive not less than 10 years or more than life in prison unless there is a death or serious injury. This is in addition to a maximum 4 million fine. A second offense brings a mandatory 20-year prison sentence with a maximum of life. If death or serious injury occurs in a second offense, a life sentence in prison is the minimum. A fine of not more than 8 million can accompany the prison sentence. 

Strict penalties are provided for drug convictions, including mandatory prison terms for many offenses. Federal law states that any conviction for possession, use, or distribution of illicit substances can result in loss of federal benefits, confiscation of property, fines, and jail sentences. 

If death or serious bodily injury results from the use of an illegally distributed controlled substance, the person convicted of distributing that substance faces a mandatory life sentence and fines of up to 8 million. 

Persons convicted on federal charges of drug trafficking within 1,000 feet of a university face penalties of prison terms and fines that are twice as high as the regular penalties for the offense, with a mandatory prison sentence of at least one year. 

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988 set forth federal mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines. According to the Federal Trafficking Penalties, first offense penalties for anyone who manufactures, dispenses, distributes, or possesses psilocybin is imprisonment for up to 20 years. If a death or serious injury is involved there is a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 20 years, but not to exceed a life sentence. Individuals can also be fined up to one million dollars. In the case of a second offense, offenders can receive up to a 30-year prison sentence. If a death or serious injury is involved, there is a mandatory minimum life sentence. Individuals can also be fined up to two million dollars. 

C-B is a Schedule I substance and thereby falls under the penalties associated with that group of drugs. Persons convicted of first-time possession of 2C-B in a federal court face up to a year in prison and a mandatory fine of at least 1,000 up to a maximum of 100,000. A first-time conviction for the sale or possession for sale of 2C-B by a federal court carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to 1 million. 

Convinced that marihuana posed a dual threat to domestic tranquillity, Congress included it in the Narcotics Act of 1956 which raised the mandatory minimum sentence for marihuana possession and also called for a minimum ten-year prison sentence to anyone selling narcotics, including marihuana, to a juvenile. 

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