**For a PDF of the Mayor's Conference Resolution click here.

Opposing Mandatory Minimum Sentences

WHEREAS, fair and effective criminal justice policies are in the interest of the citizens of every U.S. city and town; and

WHEREAS, 2006 marks the 20th anniversary of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1986 which established federal mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses; and

WHEREAS, twenty years of mandatory minimum sentencing hasresulted in a tremendous increase in the U.S. prison population, particularly of drug offenders; and

WHEREAS, people incarcerated for drug offenses return to their communities facing barriers to employment, housing, public assistance, and education opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the cost of providing services to returning prisoners is borne primarily by local governments; and

WHEREAS, almost two-thirds of prisoners have dependent children, and their prolonged absence destabilizes families and threatens the economic and social vitality of communities; and

WHEREAS, mandatory minimum sentencing reflects a “one-size fits all” approach to administering justice that does not allow courts to impose sentences appropriate to the crime that take into account the offender’s role in the crime, and the characteristics of the offender, and

WHEREAS, mandatory minimum sentencing has been ineffective at achieving its purported goals: reducing the level of substance abuse and crime and increasing penalties for the most serious offenders; and

WHEREAS, mandatory minimum sentencing has exacerbated racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and, particularly when used to punish drug offenses, has resulted in the disproportionate incarceration of African American offenders,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United State Conference of Mayors states its opposition to mandatory minimum sentencing on both the federal and state levels, and urges the creation of fair and effective sentencing policies that permit judges to determine appropriate sentences based on the specific circumstances of the crime and the perpetrator’s individual situation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that states should review the effects of both federal and state mandatory minimum sentencing and then move forward.