Mandatory Sentencing
Bipartisan support appears to be growing in Congress for legislation to relax mandatory minimum prison sentences as a way to make the justice system fairer and decrease prison costs. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the United States has the world’s largest prison population, with more than 1.5 million people incarcerated in 2012. The Bureau of Prisons budget is approximately $6.8 billion, or about 25 percent of the total Justice Department budget. Senator Patrick Leahy (VT-D), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has joined Senator Rand Paul (KY-R) in introducing S. 619, the Justice Safety Valve Act, which would…
