Mandatory sentencing is nothing new. It started in the 1970s. The main purpose of mandatory sentencing was to try to get rid of drug lords and eliminate most street drug dealing in the country. It was a question of imposing that the same crime had the same punishment throughout the nation. Some of the negatives that emerged from mandatory sentencing were nonviolent drug offenders and first-time offenders who were receiving harsh sentences. Inmate populations and correctional costs have increased, prompting states to build more prisons. Judges were overworked with these cases and these young offenders were sentenced to long prison terms. Mandatory sentencing is an interesting topic where I would like to discuss my views on opposing mandatory sentencing. I will show the reasons for this argument, as well as give you my personal brief on which I stand. For starters, mandatory minimum sentences cause prison overcrowding and, based on several studies, do not alleviate crime, such as crimes such as shoplifting or solicitation. These sentencing guidelines do not allow the judge to consider first-time offenders, differentiate the offender's level of deviance, and do not allow the judge to change a punishment or sentence for each individual case . When mandatory sentencing went into effect, the drug lords they were trying to stop were not affected by the sentences. It is the non-violent, low-level drug users who are overcrowding prisons due to these convictions. Both the U.S. Sentencing Commission and the Department of Justice have determined that mandatory sentencing is not an effective way to deter crime. Studies show that mandatory minimums have decreased because of race and...... middle of paper...... OUTSIDE HARD JUSTICE? Criminology and Public Policy, 5(1), 37-43. Retrieved December 6, 2010, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 1016637721).CRIME AND PUNISHMENT FOR DELIBERATORS: A WAY OUT OF TOUGH JUSTICE? Criminology and Public Policy, 5(1), 37-43. Retrieved November 23, 2010, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 1016637721).October 1993. Retrieved November 18, 2010. Vol. 79. 134 pages (Document ID: 0747-0088) Published by the American Bar AssociationMandatory Sentencing Laws and Drug Offenders in the State of New York. Retrieved November 15, 2010, from http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/factsheets/mandatory_ny.cfm. Compiled by Anonymous, The Correctional Association of New York. March 1999.Cindy Swirko. (2010). Are drug sentences in Florida too harsh? Retrieved November 15, 2010, from http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100814/articles/8141011.