Mandatory Minimums: Tipping the Scales of Justice (Case Study‪)‬

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During the 1980s, the criminal justice system in the United States underwent some of the most dramatic changes since its inception. In large part, these changes were spurred by the notable increase in the sale, use, and abuse of drugs (especially crack cocaine), combined with a related increase in drug-related homicides. At the same time, minorities were being sentenced to disproportionately long prison terms, as compared to white offenders. Finally, there was a growing pattern of undue judicial leniency for certain categories of serious crimes.