Rufus fell victim to one of the most egregious laws on the books: the mandatory-minimum three-strikes law. (You can read a comprehensive PDF analysis of it and learn more about Rufus.) The evidence against him was a dime bag with cocaine residue in the backseat of the police car that the police drove him in. It was enough for a local judge to sentence him to LIFE IN PRISON — for having a tiny, basically empty plastic bag near him. That’s it.
This crime, if you can call it that, under normal circumstances would carry a 0-5 year sentence, with treatment programs to help. But because he had two previous convictions, he is locked away on the taxpayer’s dime for the rest of his life without the possibility of parole.
Mandatory minimums are not only unfair to the convicted. They keep judges from doing their job. Not every crime is the same. And the idea of a tiny plastic bag putting you away for life is absurd. We can do better. Here’s how you can help fix these dangerous laws that destroy communities.
And then share this if you think maybe our system is flawed and just might need fixing?
