In 1984 the Sentencing Reform Act was passed into legislation introducing mandatory sentencing to the criminal justice system. Essentially this means that a committee got together and discussed different crime violations and decided on a non-negotiable amount of time an offender will have to spend behind bars no matter what. Outlined by FAMM, a sentencing and prison policies reform organization here is the problem, “Mandatory minimum sentencing laws require judges to give all offenders convicted of a certain crime the same punishment — regardless of whether it fits the crime or the offender or is necessary to keep the public safe. Judges are not allowed to consider any special facts or unique circumstances, the offender’s role, the person’s motive or profit, whether someone was actually injured, and whether the person is likely to reoffend or can be rehabilitated. Mandatory minimum sentences result in lengthy, excessive sentences for many people, leading to injustices, prison crowding, high costs for taxpayers — and less public safety.” The bottom line, a squeaky clean record won’t gain you redemption or a lighter sentence just a hope that additional time won’t be added. ​

Probation and Parole is often described as a trap, one foot in the door (prison) one foot out. For many offenders who can’t afford adequate counsel, probation can seem like a saving grace a second chance, a way to avoid incarceration. However, the truth about probation and parole is that it’s the leading cause of mass incarceration and greatly contributes to an overcrowded prison system. ​