Houston Institute Joins Brief Opposing Mandatory Minimum Sentences at Mass. Supreme Judicial Court

The Houston Institute joined an amicus brief filed by the state public defender agency, the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), on behalf of a coalition of 40 interested organizations concerning mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. The brief argues that a court may sentence a defendant below the mandatory minimum sentence, particularly when the mandatory minimum sentence would be unconstitutional because it violates equal protection principles. The Houston Institute vigorously opposes criminal punishment polices, such as mandatory minimum drug sentences, that disproportionately target and impact communities of color.

Read the brief: