The war on drugs is winding down. The director of national drug control policy , R. Gil Kerlikowske, favors prevention and treatment rather than incarceration because it's more effective and less costly. (Oregonian Editorial)
Congress has ordered the panel that advises judges on prison terms to conduct a review of (federal) mandatory-minimum sentences, a move that could lead to a dramatic rethinking of how the U.S. incarcerates its criminals. (Wall Street Journal)
The Register Guard quotes PSJ Executive Director David Rogers regarding the mandatory minimum sentences that were called into question by the Oregon Supreme Court in a ruling that affirmed two trial court decisions to impose sentences less than what is required by Measure 11.
The state Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on Thursday that the severity of a criminal penalty must be related to the gravity of the offense and that in "rare circumstances" trial court judges can impose lesser sentences than those required by Measure 11.
Mandatory minimum sentences were called into question by the Oregon Supreme Court today in a ruling that affirmed two trial court decisions to impose sentences less than what is required by Measure 11. The court ruled that imposing the mandatory minimum sentences was unconstitutional.
Mandatory minimum sentences were called into question by the Oregon Supreme Court today in a ruling that affirmed two trial court decisions to impose sentences less than what is required by Measure
More prisoners today are serving life terms than ever before — 140,610 out of 2.3 million incarcerated nationally — under tough mandatory minimum-sentencing laws and the declining use of parole. (The New York Times)