Mandatory minimum sentencing was first enacted in the Boggs Act of 1951. This act made a first time cannabis possession offense a minimum of two to ten years with a fine up to $20,000. However, Congress repealed the Boggs Act of 1951 for mandatory penalties for cannabis offense in 1970. Sixteen years later in 1986, Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. With the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, mandatory minimum sentences for drugs were enacted and enforced. This act was passed with
Essay Prompt #1 It is no secret that racial disparities exist within the criminal justice system. It is shocking that the number of racial disparities continues to grow even after the advancement of technology within the system. According to the Sentencing Project (2017), sentencing policies, implicit racial bias, and socioeconomic inequality are all factors that contribute to the racial disparities in the criminal justice systems. In order to address these disparities we must first look at