I am writing to ask for support of H.R. 1978, which would abolish mandatory minimum sentences for simple drug possession, distribution, manufacturing and importation of drugs.

Mandatory sentencing laws don't work. These laws limit the facts that judges may consider to weight and type of drug and prior convictions and prevent them from considering the defendant's role in the offense or prospects for rehabilitation. As a result, 55 percent of federal drug offenders are low-level offenders and another 33 percent mid- level drug offenders. Nearly 90 percent of the federal drug offenders are non-violent.

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