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After more than a decade of debates, hearings and lobbying, the Senate has passed a bill to change the punishment for possession of crack cocaine.
The bill had strong support from both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. While the current law punishes crack users 100 times more heavily than powder cocaine users, the new Senate bill brings the 100-to-1 ratio down to 18-to-1.
In an interview, Cynthia Orr, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense lawyers, described how the 100-to-1 ratio plays out in real life.
"The penalty for possession of a saccharin package worth of crack cocaine is a five-year mandatory minimum. And it goes up from there astronomically to where you're at a life sentence before you can bat an eye with crack cocaine," she said, "Whereas you have to have 5 kilos of powder cocaine, so it's literally 100 times more severe penalty for the same amount of drug."
Congress enacted these rules in the early 1990s, when crack was ravaging urban communities. In those days, Reggie Walton worked on drug policy in the first Bush administration. Back then he supported the sentencing disparity, but now he is a federal judge in Washington and feels differently.
"We believed it was a different chemical substance. We now know that's not the case," Walton said. "The reality is that crack cocaine and powder cocaine are the same chemical substance."
Walton has testified on this issue before Congress on behalf of the Judicial Conference. He says the sentencing disparity has had a huge impact on people of color.
"You have a large percentage of people who are Latino or African-American being locked up for crack cocaine convictions," he said.
The Right Balance
That's partly because crack is much cheaper than powder. Walton says he believes there will still be objections to the Senate bill from people who think crack and powder should be treated the same.
Scott Burns, executive director of the National District Attorneys' Association, says he thinks the bill strikes the right balance.
Jail time for simple possession of any narcotic is ass-backwards, imo, unless you're talking pounds.
Bill Eases Penalty For Crack Cocaine Possession : NPR
After more than a decade of debates, hearings and lobbying, the Senate has passed a bill to change the punishment for possession of crack cocaine.
The bill had strong support from both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. While the current law punishes crack users 100 times more heavily than powder cocaine users, the new Senate bill brings the 100-to-1 ratio down to 18-to-1.
In an interview, Cynthia Orr, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense lawyers, described how the 100-to-1 ratio plays out in real life.
"The penalty for possession of a saccharin package worth of crack cocaine is a five-year mandatory minimum. And it goes up from there astronomically to where you're at a life sentence before you can bat an eye with crack cocaine," she said, "Whereas you have to have 5 kilos of powder cocaine, so it's literally 100 times more severe penalty for the same amount of drug."
Congress enacted these rules in the early 1990s, when crack was ravaging urban communities. In those days, Reggie Walton worked on drug policy in the first Bush administration. Back then he supported the sentencing disparity, but now he is a federal judge in Washington and feels differently.
"We believed it was a different chemical substance. We now know that's not the case," Walton said. "The reality is that crack cocaine and powder cocaine are the same chemical substance."
Walton has testified on this issue before Congress on behalf of the Judicial Conference. He says the sentencing disparity has had a huge impact on people of color.
"You have a large percentage of people who are Latino or African-American being locked up for crack cocaine convictions," he said.
The Right Balance
That's partly because crack is much cheaper than powder. Walton says he believes there will still be objections to the Senate bill from people who think crack and powder should be treated the same.
Scott Burns, executive director of the National District Attorneys' Association, says he thinks the bill strikes the right balance.
The fact it's still 18-1 is ridiculous, but at least it's not 100-1 anymore.
Thoughts?
Bill Eases Penalty For Crack Cocaine Possession : NPR
After more than a decade of debates, hearings and lobbying, the Senate has passed a bill to change the punishment for possession of crack cocaine.
The bill had strong support from both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. While the current law punishes crack users 100 times more heavily than powder cocaine users, the new Senate bill brings the 100-to-1 ratio down to 18-to-1.
In an interview, Cynthia Orr, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense lawyers, described how the 100-to-1 ratio plays out in real life.
"The penalty for possession of a saccharin package worth of crack cocaine is a five-year mandatory minimum. And it goes up from there astronomically to where you're at a life sentence before you can bat an eye with crack cocaine," she said, "Whereas you have to have 5 kilos of powder cocaine, so it's literally 100 times more severe penalty for the same amount of drug."
Congress enacted these rules in the early 1990s, when crack was ravaging urban communities. In those days, Reggie Walton worked on drug policy in the first Bush administration. Back then he supported the sentencing disparity, but now he is a federal judge in Washington and feels differently.
"We believed it was a different chemical substance. We now know that's not the case," Walton said. "The reality is that crack cocaine and powder cocaine are the same chemical substance."
Walton has testified on this issue before Congress on behalf of the Judicial Conference. He says the sentencing disparity has had a huge impact on people of color.
"You have a large percentage of people who are Latino or African-American being locked up for crack cocaine convictions," he said.
The Right Balance
That's partly because crack is much cheaper than powder. Walton says he believes there will still be objections to the Senate bill from people who think crack and powder should be treated the same.
Scott Burns, executive director of the National District Attorneys' Association, says he thinks the bill strikes the right balance.
The fact it's still 18-1 is ridiculous, but at least it's not 100-1 anymore.
Thoughts?
Bill Eases Penalty For Crack Cocaine Possession : NPR
After more than a decade of debates, hearings and lobbying, the Senate has passed a bill to change the punishment for possession of crack cocaine.
The bill had strong support from both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. While the current law punishes crack users 100 times more heavily than powder cocaine users, the new Senate bill brings the 100-to-1 ratio down to 18-to-1.
In an interview, Cynthia Orr, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense lawyers, described how the 100-to-1 ratio plays out in real life.
"The penalty for possession of a saccharin package worth of crack cocaine is a five-year mandatory minimum. And it goes up from there astronomically to where you're at a life sentence before you can bat an eye with crack cocaine," she said, "Whereas you have to have 5 kilos of powder cocaine, so it's literally 100 times more severe penalty for the same amount of drug."
Congress enacted these rules in the early 1990s, when crack was ravaging urban communities. In those days, Reggie Walton worked on drug policy in the first Bush administration. Back then he supported the sentencing disparity, but now he is a federal judge in Washington and feels differently.
"We believed it was a different chemical substance. We now know that's not the case," Walton said. "The reality is that crack cocaine and powder cocaine are the same chemical substance."
Walton has testified on this issue before Congress on behalf of the Judicial Conference. He says the sentencing disparity has had a huge impact on people of color.
"You have a large percentage of people who are Latino or African-American being locked up for crack cocaine convictions," he said.
The Right Balance
That's partly because crack is much cheaper than powder. Walton says he believes there will still be objections to the Senate bill from people who think crack and powder should be treated the same.
Scott Burns, executive director of the National District Attorneys' Association, says he thinks the bill strikes the right balance.
The fact it's still 18-1 is ridiculous, but at least it's not 100-1 anymore.
Thoughts?
Has the level of use of crack/cocain dropped? Do you know? I was watching a program the other night & it seems like the new "worst" drug is meth? Described in this illegal narcotic program as the most hideous one around.
I wonder what the mandatory sentence is for possession of meth?--
Anyone know--I'm too tired to look it up--
Instead of doing this, why not just legalize cannabis?
Would stop a lot of drug cartels from killing people, because then they could go legit.
Oh yeah........forgot........cocaine is the drug for rich people.......OF COURSE the GOP is going to protect it!
Instead of doing this, why not just legalize cannabis?
Would stop a lot of drug cartels from killing people, because then they could go legit.
Oh yeah........forgot........cocaine is the drug for rich people.......OF COURSE the GOP is going to protect it!
FYI; Crack is Cocaine and is definitely not the drug of "rich people". Drug addicts are not usually into partisan politics.
Instead of doing this, why not just legalize cannabis?
Would stop a lot of drug cartels from killing people, because then they could go legit.
Oh yeah........forgot........cocaine is the drug for rich people.......OF COURSE the GOP is going to protect it!
FYI; Crack is Cocaine and is definitely not the drug of "rich people". Drug addicts are not usually into partisan politics.
Drug addicts aren't usually into partisan politics? 
Has the level of use of crack/cocain dropped? Do you know? I was watching a program the other night & it seems like the new "worst" drug is meth? Described in this illegal narcotic program as the most hideous one around.
I wonder what the mandatory sentence is for possession of meth?--
Anyone know--I'm too tired to look it up--
Instead of doing this, why not just legalize cannabis?
Would stop a lot of drug cartels from killing people, because then they could go legit.
Oh yeah........forgot........cocaine is the drug for rich people.......OF COURSE the GOP is going to protect it!
FYI; Crack is Cocaine and is definitely not the drug of "rich people". Drug addicts are not usually into partisan politics.
In the 1920's, cocaine was the drug of choice for high society. The Rich have always used cocaine - still do to this day. Robin Williams once said: "Cocaine is God's way of telling you you're making too much money." He speaks from experience, I'm sure.
Crack cocaine, on the other hand, is a drug that became popular on the street, i.e., among the folks who could not afford "the real stuff." I think this is what prompted the remark about the rich not using cocaine - confusing crack cocaine with cocaine itself.
Instead of doing this, why not just legalize cannabis?
Would stop a lot of drug cartels from killing people, because then they could go legit.
Oh yeah........forgot........cocaine is the drug for rich people.......OF COURSE the GOP is going to protect it!
FYI; Crack is Cocaine and is definitely not the drug of "rich people". Drug addicts are not usually into partisan politics.
Tell that to all the rich people snorting lines, and popping prescription drugs.
And so you know the difference, Crack is what poor people do, Coke is what middle class to rich people do.
Drugs are not partisan.... the only thing dope heads and partisans have in common is that they are all fucking brain dead morons. In my opinion.
