(iStock/Getty Images Plus)WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Sentencing Project warns that the overreach of federal criminal law into local offenses directly threatens democracy and disproportionately harms Black and Latino communities. Mandatory minimums required in federal sentencing, as opposed to state sentencing, often mean federal cases carry much longer prison terms. The Sentencing Project reports that this over-federalization contributes to racial disparities, particularly in Black urban neighborhoods. Bipartisan concerns about federal overreach have persisted for decades, according to the Sentencing Project. Federal sentences typically exceed those available under state law, meaning cases transferred from local to federal court almost always result in longer prison terms.