mandatory sentences
Legally required penalties
Mandatory sentences are criminal penalties required by law, leaving judges no discretion to impose lighter punishment.
Most commonly refers to mandatory minimum sentences, which set a floor: The drug charge carries a mandatory sentence of five years.
Critics argue they produce unjust outcomes; supporters say they ensure consistency and deter crime.
- compulsoryRequired, not optional
- judicialOf courts and judges
- deterrentThing that discourages action
- punishmentPenalty for an offense
- hard timeStruggle or imprisonment
three-strikes laws · clemency · conviction · incarceration · life without parole · time served · federal guidelines · adjudication · precedent · throw the book · recidivism reduction · justice · law · aggravating circumstances · first offense · penal system · rehabilitation · house arrest
mandatory sentencesrestorative justice
Conflict resolution through mutual healing
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