Which term best describes the long-term drivers of mass incarceration, such as mandatory minimums and determinate sentencing?

Which term best describes the long-term drivers of mass incarceration, such as mandatory minimums and determinate sentencing?

• A. Restorative justice
• B. Parole reform
• C. Mandatory minimums
• D. Rehabilitation emphasis

Answer: (C)

Long-term drivers of mass incarceration come from sentencing policies that fix or limit how long a person can be imprisoned, reducing judge discretion and pushing up prison terms across many cases. That pattern is best captured by the term that sets minimum punishments for offenses, because mandatory minimums establish floors on sentences and often lead to longer incarceration for a wide range of offenses. Determinate sentencing is related in that it also fixes terms, but the label most representative of this broader trend in the given options is mandatory minimums. The other terms focus on repair, post-release supervision, or rehabilitation, rather than driving longer prison terms.

Long-term drivers of mass incarceration come from sentencing policies that fix or limit how long a person can be imprisoned, reducing judge discretion and pushing up prison terms across many cases. That pattern is best captured by the term that sets minimum punishments for offenses, because mandatory minimums establish floors on sentences and often lead to longer incarceration for a wide range of offenses. Determinate sentencing is related in that it also fixes terms, but the label most representative of this broader trend in the given options is mandatory minimums. The other terms focus on repair, post-release supervision, or rehabilitation, rather than driving longer prison terms.