Supreme Court Weighs Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparity

[Polybius]

Source: NPR

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on a case involving sentencing disparities between people found guilty of possessing crack versus powdered forms of cocaine, and whether recent changes in federal law should apply retroactively to those given long prison terms for small amounts of crack.

The cases stems from changes to the 1986 Anti Drug Abuse Act, which put in place sentences for crack cocaine possession 100 times more severe than for the powered form of the drug. The disparity was seen by many as a racially motivated, as those sentenced for crack possession were proportionally more likely to be Black.

In 2010 Congress and the Obama administration amended the law to reduce the sentencing disparities between the two forms of cocaine to 18-1, and in 2018 lawmakers and the Trump administration made the change retroactive, affecting those still serving time under the original statute.

But Congress left out sentences for low levels of crack from the retroactive provision, and justices across the ideological spectrum indicated Tuesday they were skeptical that the court could change that.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/05/04/993518328/supreme-court-weighs-crack-cocaine-sentencing-disparity

[NurseJackie]

1. Will they do the right thing? (Probably not.)

[BumRushDaShow]

2. It was a slog to get down from the 100x

Now imagine if you replaced "crack" with "meth" and see how that flies (well it wouldn't - crack is the only one that has a mandatory prison sentence for the first offense).

[azureblue]

3. the problem is

back when the crack epidemic was going on in the 90's, everybody, and I mean white, black, brown, was pushing for stiffer sentences for crack vs powder coke. Up to then, there was no difference as far as the law was concerned. the crack heads would get arrested, jailed, bailed, and be out stealing stuff for more crack in 48 hours. Now for some reason, people have noticed there are different sentences for crack vs powder and seem to have forgotten how those sentences got there.

[ShazamIam]

5. All whipped up by the media and that 30 year long effort of mass incarceration identified by

the phrase, Tough on Crime, by 1990 you couldn't run for office if you weren't, "Tough on Crime,"
it was covere4d with the constancy and urgency of Hill's emails for 30 years.

[MichMan]

4. After the sentencing disparities were in effect, why would people continue dealing crack ?

Didn't ever think they would get caught ? Or did they continue to take the risk because it was much more profitable ? Or too stupid to care?