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Keywords

Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure; Juvenile Law; Legislation; State and Local Government Law; Sentencing; Marvin Mayfield Act; Mandatory Minimum Sentence

Abstract

In New York State, children as young as thirteen can be processed as adults and sentenced to mandatory minimum sentences. Mandatory minimum sentences require judges to sentence the defendant to a statutorily set minimum term of imprisonment. Practitioners, judges, and researchers question the efficacy of mandatory minimum sentences, finding that they are ineffective at deterring crime, decreasing bias in sentencing, and increasing community safety. Additionally, there is clear evidence about the damaging effects of incarceration on young adults. Instead of functioning as rehabilitative punishment, incarceration leads young adults to experience poor mental and physical health outcomes upon release, and they are more likely to be justice-involved in the future.

The Marvin Mayfield Act proposed in the New York State Senate and Assembly seeks to eliminate all state mandatory minimum sentences. This Note examines the Marvin Mayfield Act through the lens of its impact on minor defendants processed in adult criminal courts. To do so, this Note considers legal scholarship on the use of mandatory minimum sentences for minor defendants alongside research from the fields of neuroscience and psychology.

This Note advocates for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences because they are an ineffective tool for deterrence, decreasing bias, and increasing community safety. Additionally, there is clear evidence of the negative outcomes associated with incarceration at a young age. This Note concludes by proposing a community-involved sentencing program to address issues of bias.

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