The Mandatory Minimum sentencing laws were put into place for major and habitual drug offenders to be behind bars for years, but in essence we have been faced with unintended consequences of mandatory minimum sentences. The mandatory minimum guidelines are so outrageous, and although one should be held accountable for any illegal activity the guidelines leave no discretion for judge. Drug cases before the mandatory minimum drug law took effect; the sentencing for such crimes was nowhere near as harsh. Defendants that have been sentenced under these guidelines often have no criminal history
With rising crime rates, law abiding citizens should be buying handguns to protect themselves. Outlawing handguns will only cause more problems and commotion since most criminals will still be able to get a hold of it. Handguns will have a higher value put on them and it can be used as another source of illegal trade between criminals. If a criminal were going to kill someone, they won’t care about breaking the law in order to acquire a handgun. It will end up as the same problem as drug trafficking or maybe become worse and even more dangerous.
In his essay, Dan Gardner suggests that the politicians are trying to get the votes through an obligation to the people that they will minimize the violence by making harsher consequences and adding more police. This will not work, but the people don’t know that. This has been an ongoing affair that needs to change. Gardner insists that the ones who are controlling all of the drugs are dominant, forceful people and when they end up in jail is when the violence grows the most. People are struggling to keep the business going, but without their leaders, ultimately the function of the business shatters.
It would be impossible for a child to make independent judgment without meeting anyone different, because in their community most people lived the same type of lifestyle. But that is what prejudice and racism stem from, it is judging without meeting; following a mob mentality to hate certain people. Racism is also influenced by a part of the brain called the amygdala,
Interactionists show no interest in the causes of crime, as they accept that criminals are no different from the rest of us because most people commit some form of crime or deviant act in their lifetime. They emphasise the importance of societal reaction to deviant acts. This reaction comes in the form of labelling. Most sociological theories would suggest that after a deviant act has been committed, the reaction from society will be unanimous; however, interactionists would argue that this is not the case. Different people will attach different meanings to the deviant act that has been committed, and to the perpetrator.
This can also occur when evidence is tampered with or purposely withheld from an investigation. The occasional justice failures are becoming more few and far between due to DNA evidence and updated technology. • In your opinion, what is the worst possible miscarriage of justice that could result in the criminal courts, and why? What could be done to prevent such an occurrence? In my opinion the worst possible miscarriage of justice that could result in the criminal courts is if an innocent person is charged with a felony in which they are sentenced to life in prison or execution.
Judges are now left with no alternatives when handing out punishments to criminals convicted of a certain crime. So when a minority is convicted of a certain crime they are sentenced to the same exact punishment as of that of a non minority. Disparity and discrimination play a vast role in all
We hear about negative stereotypes in everyday life. But when we combine them with our justice system they can be much more detrimental. Either a truly guilty person is acquitted because he doesn’t seem to fit the “type” to commit a certain crime, or a person who is innocent is found guilty because they fit the profile of the crime. Racial stereotypes can change a lot when you consider a situation where the offender’s guilt depends more on their skin color than on their actual crime. A study discovered that “African-Americans have been found to receive harsher judgments of guilt and punishment than white cases in otherwise identical cases” (Quillian, 4).
Sex offenders who are tried in a court of law; found guilty of their accused crime and serve out their time in jail should not then have this horrendous, life-changing experience topped with having their names and addresses being publicly listed under this harsh label for the rest of their lives. The minimal information stated on this register does not include the nature of the crime committed, only the ‘textbook’ conviction; allowing far-reaching conclusions to be drawn in the minds of the public. What chance are we giving any person of reform or allowing them to move on from what would not be a proud moment of their lives by making public this list? Why do these people, above anyone else, deserve to be estranged and how is the reprimand of jail time not punishment enough? Australia’s justice system is concerned with rehabilitating those who have done wrong and preventing them from re-offending.
The stricter our state is with its punishment, the more people will know not to commit murders. American citizens need to know that chastisements are proportionate and fair. For each killing that occurs, 8 possible victims are spared. We can't risk the chance that execution does not save the lives of potential victims. Since the United States does not have an official religious code to interpret right from wrong, we have to depend on our criminal laws.