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End the Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity
One of the most egregious injustices in the last 20 years of the drug war has been the draconian penalties suffered by persons convicted in the federal criminal justice system of low-level crack cocaine offenses. Under the infamous mandatory minimums laws, which were passed by Congress without ever holding hearings on them, possession of a mere five grams of crack draws a five-year sentence, and 50 grams a ten-year sentence. The judge has no power under federal law to grant a shorter sentence. H.B. 460, sponsored by US Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), would raise the thresholds for the crack mandatory minimum sentences to the same quantities used in the powder cocaine laws, 500 and 5,000 grams.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I am writing to ask you to support H.R. 460, or equivalent legislation in the Senate. H.R. 460 would raise the quantities of crack cocaine that trigger five- and ten-year mandatory minimum sentences to the same level that now triggers those sentences for powder cocaine. Currently one need possess only five grams of crack (a sugar packet's worth) to draw a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, no parole and no judicial discretion. Only 50 grams (a candy bar's worth) gets the defendant ten years. By contrast, 500 and 5,000 grams of powder cocaine, sentences, are needed to get the same sentences. Federal crack prosecutions focus overwhelmingly on the African American community, even though there are more whites who use the drug than blacks. I strongly urge you to end this particularly cruel and unjust mandatory minimum sentence.
Sincerely, |
Campaign Launched: |
| Background Information |
One of the most egregious injustices in the last 20 years of the drug war has been the draconian penalties suffered by persons convicted in the federal criminal justice system of low-level crack cocaine offenses. Under the infamous mandatory minimums laws, which were passed by Congress without ever holding hearings on them, possession of a mere five grams of crack draws a five-year sentence, and 50 grams a ten-year sentence. The judge has no power under federal law to grant a short sentence. H.B. 460, sponsored by US Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), would raise the thresholds for the crack mandatory minimum sentences to the same quantities used in the powder cocaine laws, 500 and 5,000 grams.