Bill to Cut Penalties for Crack Cocaine Heads to Obama

[AFK]

http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2010/bill-to-cut-penalties-for.html

Well, it's a step in the right direction. 

Congress passed a bill that raises the mandatory minimum for a 5 year prison term for possessing crack from 5 grams to 28 grams. This takes the disparity from about 100 to 1 down to about 18 to 1.  Which is still too high.  They should be level, period.  I also hope their is success in getting this bill to go retroactive so that those doing time under the old laws have opportunities to go free early. 

Using corrections and the laws as sledgehammers to combat drugs is the wrong way to go.  There needs to be more options for helping people that doesn't involve locking them up for long periods of time.  If you can conclusively prove that a person was dealing, that is a different matter which I think is approrpriate to involve jail or prison time.  But for the individual loser, it's counterproductive. 

I hope to see the day when this disparity is gone completely, but again, at least this is going in the right direction.   

[Adios]

Is crack a big issue with the youth? I admit I know little about it, except that it's cheap.

[AFK]

It varies by region.  Overall, it's not a huge problem in Maine, for example, but there are certain counties where it is more of an issue than others.  That would be the counties where the Amtrak train from Southern New England runs.  But this sentencing guideline that was put in place back in the Reagan years did serve to be one that resulting in a huge racial disparity when it came to those in prison for drug possession.  Part of it was that use tended to go along racial lines.  Crudely, crack was the black man's drug and powder cocaine the white man's drug.  The other bit of course was that a lot of the crack operations were housed in project housing. 

[Adios]

It varies by region.  Overall, it's not a huge problem in Maine, for example, but there are certain counties where it is more of an issue than others.  That would be the counties where the Amtrak train from Southern New England runs.  But this sentencing guideline that was put in place back in the Reagan years did serve to be one that resulting in a huge racial disparity when it came to those in prison for drug possession.  Part of it was that use tended to go along racial lines.  Crudely, crack was the black man's drug and powder cocaine the white man's drug.  The other bit of course was that a lot of the crack operations were housed in project housing. 

I see, so profiling without using the 'P' word.

[Jasper]

I'm all for fewer drug abusers filling up our prisons.

[AFK]

I'm a big advocate of Drug Courts. 

[Jasper]

I'm a big advocate of Drug Courts. 

Cool idea! 

[Requia ☣]

Does this reduce the sentencing disparity as well?  or will they still be trying to put people away for 20 years for a couple ounces?

[AFK]

Umm, that's what this thread is about. 

[LMNO]

Well yeah, but were you aware that the Bill to Cut Penalties for Crack Cocaine Heads to Obama?

[AFK]

Well, let me try again anyway.  What the bill did was raise the amount of crack cocaine that triggered the mandatory minimum.  Reagan instutited a policy where 5 grams got you in prison for 5 years.  Now it will be 28 grams that gets you the 5 year stint in the slammer.  That's where the ratio comes from because the amount of powder cocaine that gets you 5 years is 500 grams.  So before it was 500g/5g = 100/1 and now 500g/28g = roughly 18/1. 

So yes it does reduce the disparity. 

But, Nancy and Ron did a good job of scaring the bejeezus out of everyone with crack that it seems to be a steep hill to climb to get it to an even ratio.  Of course, one bit of blowback from all of that was I imagine it put in the minds of some cocaine users that as long as they were using powder cocaine, they were okay. 

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

Well yeah, but were you aware that the Bill to Cut Penalties for Crack Cocaine Heads to Obama?

ICWATUDIDTHAR!!!

[Jasper]

They should try rebranding.  Corps do it all the time.

Instead of crack, call it bunny-lovin'.  Nobody goes to jail for bunny-lovin'.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

Along with this is the coke=crack change that says coke in any form is coke and the punishment should be the same for it in any form.  Going against the crack is much more addictive and should have a higher sentence argument. 

[Adios]

Along with this is the coke=crack change that says coke in any form is coke and the punishment should be the same for it in any form.  Going against the crack is much more addictive and should have a higher sentence argument. 

Kids need a break. They should not be branded if they are young. I think RWHN has persuaded me that working with people is far better than punishment.