View article

In the area of firearms policy, no measure has received more legislative attention than mandatory minimum sentences for felonies committed with a gun. At the latest count, fifteen states had adopted such a law, and a dozen or so more were considering it.* On the national level, the Attorney General's Task Force on Violent Crime has recommended mandatory minimum sentencing for federal crimes committed with firearms. 2 There are many reasons for the popularity of the policy, but one of its more important attractions is the expectation that mandatory minimum sentences will reduce gun-related crime without imposing additional constraints on the behavior of" law-abiding" citizens who wish to own guns.