Poll against mandatory minimum sentences

Published: Sept. 25, 2008 at 4:12 PM

NEW YORK, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- A new poll indicates a majority of U.S. citizens are against mandatory minimum prison sentences.

About 60 percent of respondents opposed mandatory minimums, which have been a key element in getting tough with drug offenders.

Nearly 80 percent said the term of sentence should be left up to the courts, the Christian Science Monitor, said Thursday.

"As a country we believe in individualized justice," said Julie Stewart, president and founder of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, which commissioned the poll.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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