The debate over whether there should be mandatory minimum sentences misses the point. There are obviously crimes which should require a jail sentence, and crimes that should not. The problem is that given the discretion, too many liberal judges let too many criminals get away with too much, and this leads to extremely dangerous cities, which is bad in and of itself. But it’s also a primary driver of racial inequality, as poor people are forced to live in dangerous environments, and are victimized at extremely high rates, thanks to a revolving door criminal justice system.
