Cost-Effectiveness of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenders

Cost-Effectiveness of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenders

PI: Jonathan Caulkins

Funded by: A gift from Richard B. Wolf, President, Richland Mills, and The Ford Foundation

Congress and many states have passed laws that replace judges' discretionary power with mandatory minimum sentences for various offenses, the most common of which are drug-related offenses. RAND sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of these sentences in terms of reduction in cocaine use per enforcement dollar. The study employed two modeling approaches: the first tracked populations through user categories, and the second focused on higher-level offenders. Multiple sensitivity analyses were employed, some that varied more than one model input simultaneously. The study concluded that the new sentencing regime is less cost-effective than the prior one and much less cost-effective than treating cocaine users. However, mandatory minimum sentences might prove a wise policy if targeted at the highest-level offenders.