Judge Smiley : I ' m surprised at Holder 's decision to avert mandatory minimum sentences . What took so long ? Such sentences have been a problem from the beginning , he says . He says tough - on - crime laws made incarceration increase 800 % ; blacks , Hispanics bore brunt . Not for my family , not for the millions whose `` lives have been wasted due to the drug war and the types of police tactics that have been deployed in the get-tough-on-crime movement , '' as author and law professor Michelle Alexander noted . Smiley : Why is U.S. no longer willing to do this ? Not morals , sadly -- it just got too expensive .
Judge Smiley : I ' m surprised at Holder 's decision to avert mandatory minimum sentences . What took so long ? Such sentences have been a problem from the beginning , he says . He says tough - on - crime laws made incarceration increase 800 % ; blacks , Hispanics bore brunt . Smiley : Why is U.S. no longer willing to do this ? Not morals , sadly -- it just got too expensive .