Sentenced to a Slow Death

In this article, the New York Times’ Editorial Board urges the US to follow the leadership of many other countries and end its use of mandatory minimums in federal and state sentencing procedures. As the article explains, mandatory minimums force judges to sentence offenders to life without parole, many times even when their crime was nonviolent or negligible.

In this article, the New York Times’ Editorial Board urges the US to follow the leadership of many other countries and end its use of mandatory minimums in federal and state sentencing procedures. As the article explains, mandatory minimums force judges to sentence offenders to life without parole, many times even when their crime was nonviolent or negligible. Even more troubling is the fact that blacks are 20 times more likely than whites to be sentenced to life without parole for nonviolent crimes. The American Civil Liberties Union has released a report titled, “A Living Death: Sentenced to Die Behind Bars for What?” along with a video to raise attention to the ineffectiveness of mandatory minimums that cost taxpayers billions and fail to address issues of mental illness, drug dependency, and financial desperation.