Mandatory Minimum Sentences: Are They Being Imposed and Who Is Receiving Them? (Letter Report, 11/04/93, GAO/GGD-94-13). In response to growing numbers of drug trafficking and firearms offenses, several changes were made to federal sentencing policies during the 1980s, including federal sentencing guidelines and statutes carrying mandatory minimum sentences. A review of cases in which offenders were convicted of violating laws carrying mandatory minimum sentences showed that 85 percent of the defendants were sentenced to at least the mandatory prison times; the average sentence was almost 14 years for offenses carrying a 10-year mandatory minimum. GAO also found that most offenders were males between the ages of 21 and 40, most of whom were high-school dropouts. In four of the eight districts GAO reviewed, the majority were first-time offenders, although in one district, nearly 80 percent were repeat offenders. Hispanics were most frequently represented in five districts, blacks in two districts, and whites in one district. --------------------------- Indexing Terms ----------------------------- REPORTNUM: GGD-94-13 TITLE: Mandatory Minimum Sentences: Are They Being Imposed and Who Is Receiving Them? DATE: 11/04/93 SUBJECT: Crimes or offenses Convictions Criminals Demographic data Criminal procedure Litigation Statutory law Drug trafficking Law enforcement Federal law IDENTIFIER: New York Florida Nebraska California Texas Illinois ************************************************************************ We regret that the full text of this item is presently unavailable. See the GAO FAQ - Section 2.0 for printed copy ordering information. The FAQ is automatically retrieved with all WAIS search results or can be obtained by sending e-mail to: [email protected]