Should There be Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Criminal Offenses? 

As the name implies, mandatory minimum sentences require a certain amount of prison time for the crime. A lot of the public likes this “get tough on crime” approach. But do mandatory minimums deter crime? How does mandatory sentencing affect a prosecutor’s decision to go to trial, or a juror’s decisions to vote for or against a verdict of guilty? In short, what ripples in the criminal justice system do mandatory minimums create? Your arguments will be more persuasive with factual data and research results. 

 Examine all sides of the controversy.