A policy product of the general “get tough on crime” era, sentencing enhancements enjoyed a great deal of bipartisan political support during the early 1980s through the late 1990s. Sentencing enhancements are statutory provisions that raise the minimum threshold of criminal sentence based on a certain characteristic of the offense or offender.

This report analyzes the extent to which sentencing enhancements create a deterrent effect that can enhance public safety.

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