President Obama wants to change crack sentences

[HopeOverFear]

Wonderful news:


WASHINGTON – The Obama administration joined a federal judge Wednesday in urging Congress to end a racial disparity by equalizing prison sentences for dealing and using crack versus powdered cocaine.

"Jails are loaded with people who look like me," U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, an African-American, told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing.

Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer said the administration believes Congress' goal "should be to completely eliminate the disparity" between the two forms of cocaine. "A growing number of citizens view it as fundamentally unfair," Breuer testified.

It takes 100 times more powdered cocaine than crack cocaine to trigger the same harsh mandatory minimum sentences.

Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who chairs the committee, said, "Under current law, mere possession of five grams of crack — the weight of five packets of sweetener — carries the same sentence as distribution of half a kilogram of powder or 500 packets of sweetener."

Durbin said more than 81 percent of those convicted for crack offenses in 2007 were African-American, although only about 25 percent of crack cocaine users are African Americans.

[msallied]

1. I'm glad this is finally being looked at seriously.

I've been aware of the racial disparity in our prison system for quite some time, and it is shameful.

[NYC_SKP]

2. K&R nt

[w4rma]

3. Extremely good! Now there will be progress on the drug war issue. (nt)

[firedupdem]

4. Glad this is being addressed. It's about time. n/t

[asdjrocky]

5. It's about time.

Now let's get busy reducing or eliminating sentences for all non-violent drug "crimes".

[HopeOverFear]

6. re: It's about time.

Now let's get busy reducing or eliminating sentences for all non-violent drug "crimes".

EXACTLY!

[asdjrocky]

12. We're closer now than we were a hundred days ago.

[TheDonkey]

7. The entire "War on Drugs" needs to be reevaluated! I have faith Obama will get to it

[masuki bance]

8. Who pushed for the greater punishments in the first place?

Those are the people who should be made to pay for this.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

10. I'm assuming white men who wanted more African Americans in prison.

Just the truth.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

9. It's about f*cking time. That law was racist to the core.

[kimmylavin]

11. I like the sweetener analogy.

Really illustrates the disparity.

Regardless, good for them!
A little sense in the White House.

[ClarkUSA]

13. That's liberal progressive CHANGE I can believe in.

[HopeOverFear]

15. you know it

[Fire1]

14. It's about time. k&r

[Catherine Vincent]

16. Good!