Do Mandatory Minimums Increase Racial Disparities in Federal Criminal Sentencing?

Authors

Caroline Gillette, Boston CollegeFollow

Abstract

Black males received sentences about twenty percent longer than similarly situated white males from 2012 to 2016. Some of this inequality may be introduced by mandatory minimum sentences. Charges carrying a mandatory minimum sentence are brought against Black defendants at higher rates than white defendants. It has been argued that these sentences introduce bias in two ways: legislatively (the types of crimes that carry a mandatory minimum) and in the way these sentences are put into practice (increasing prosecutorial discretion). This brief explores whether mandatory minimum sentences increase racial inequality in criminal sentencing.

Recommended Citation

Gillette, Caroline (2020) "Do Mandatory Minimums Increase Racial Disparities in Federal Criminal Sentencing?," Undergraduate Economic Review: Vol. 17: Iss. 1, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol17/iss1/9