Racial Disparity In Sentencing Closes Between Crack Cocaine And Powder
Who says Obama isn’t lookin’ out for his peeps? We’re so gonna get into trouble with that one. Anyway, according to the Washington Post, Congress passed a bill today that significantly closes the gap between jail sentencing for those individuals caught with crack cocaine verses those found with possession of powder coke.
The measure changes a 1986 law, enacted at a time when crack cocaine use was rampant and considered a particularly violent drug. Under the law, a person convicted of crack cocaine possession got the same mandatory prison term as someone with 100 times the same amount of powder cocaine. The new legislation reduces that ratio to about 18 to 1.
The bill also eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum for first-time possession of crack, the first time since the Nixon administration that Congress has repealed a mandatory minimum sentence. It does not apply retroactively.
During his campaign President Obama said the sentencing disparity “has disproportionately filled our prisons with young black and Latino drug users.” He cited figures that African Americans serve almost as much time for drug offenses — 58.7 months — as whites do for violent offenses — 61.7 months.
Eighty percent of those convicted of crack cocaine offenses are black.
Washington Post: Congress passes bill to reduce disparity in crack, powder cocaine sentencing
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