In 1984, a commission found that federal sentencing was too arbitrary (making us a "nation of men" rather than a "nation of laws") and so mandatory federal sentencing guidelines were enacted by Congress (the supreme court later made them not-quite-mandatory, but the restriction on judges is still pretty great).

However, judicial discretion was an important check against prosecutorial zeal, and the unintended consequence of reducing arbitrariness at the judicial level has been an increase in control at the prosecutorial level. Systemically, prosecutors are incentivized to put people away, as their careers aren't shielded like those of judges. We may be more a "nation of laws" than before 1984, but combined with punishments most people would consider unjust we've drifted toward being a police state.

In my opinion, if there's one thing to take away from this terrible tragedy, it's that we need a commission to study this systemic effect and recommend ways to make the justice system more just. I can't make myself blame the prosecutors involved when most federal prosecutors are similarly heavy-handed (and, quite possibly, were acting within a reasonable interpretation of the the law).