Mandatory minimum prison sentences are punishments established by legislation for specific crimes. They have been used throughout history for various crimes. The four traditional goals of punishment are: deterrence, incapacitation (incarceration), punishment, and rehabilitation. Given the state of our national economy, cutting prison and prison costs would represent a huge savings. At first glance, it may appear that mandatory minimum sentences serve the traditional goals of punishment. They would deter potential criminals, keep society safe for longer periods of time, punish the offender and rehabilitate him. What they failed to do, however, was take into account the individual circumstances of each case and each defendant. Mandatory minimum sentences are not effective and should be repealed. The United States adopted mandatory minimum sentences for drug convictions starting in 1951 with the Boggs Act. The Boggs Act provided mandatory minimum sentences for first-time drug convictions and increased the length of sentences for subsequent convictions. In 1956, the Narcotics Control Act increased the Boggs Act's minimum sentences. It also prohibited judges from suspending sentences or imposing probation in cases where they deemed a prison sentence inappropriate. In 1970, the Nixon administration and Congress negotiated a bill that sought to address drug addiction through rehabilitation; provide better tools for law enforcement in the fight against drug trafficking and production; and provide a more balanced sanctions scheme for drug-related crimes. The final product, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, repealed the man...... half of the document......tp://www.newyorkcriminalattorneyblog.com/2009/01/a_brief_history_of_federal_man. htmlHistory of Mandatory Minimums. (2005, August 31). [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://www.famm.org/Repository/Files/Updates%20short%20HISTORY.pdf Minimum mandatory sentences [Briefing]. (n.d.). Retrieved August 2, 2010, from the Connecticut General Assembly website: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/pridata/Studies/Mandatory_Minimum_Sentences_Briefing.htmMcVay, D., Schuraldi, V., & Ziedenberg, J. (n.d.). Treatment or Incarceration? Retrieved from the Justice Policy Institute website: http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/04-01_REP_MDTreatmentorIncarceration_AC-DP.pdfSabol, WJ, PhD., & Couture, H. (2008, June). Detained mid-year 2007 (NCJ No. 3221994). Retrieved from the US Department of Justice website: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/pim07.pdf