Lowered crack terms could free 20,000 early

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: CNN

By Kevin Bohn
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Sentencing Commission is considering retroactive changes that could mean shortened sentences for nearly 20,000 federal prisoners convicted of crack cocaine related offenses.

The commission heard Tuesday from a federal judge and advocacy groups who favor making the change retroactive, and from the Justice Department and others who oppose it.

Guidelines that went into effect November 1 already have reduced the disparity between sentences for crack possession convictions and convictions for possessing cocaine in powder form.

Before the changes, a criminal found guilty of having one gram of crack cocaine would receive the same penalty as someone with 100 grams of the powder version.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/11/14/crack.sentences/index.html

[RethugAssKicker]

1. Considering?... Lets hope they do something about this

racist policy.....They do whatever they can to keep the black man
down and prevent him from voting!!

[Kolesar]

5. Well said...eom

[w4rma]

2. Good. (nt)

[Lance_Boyle]

3. Excellent!

Now let's see about putting marijuana sentences on an even keel with jaywalking. Goddamned stupid drug "war."

[Zhade]

4. Good - sentencing is racist in this country.

Of course, people shouldn't even be arrested for this - instead, it should be treated as a health issue, and a harm reduction policy has been proven to work far more effectively than prohibition laws.

[guitar man]

6. I don't know if they should lower crack terms

I mean, that plumber that was here this morning should serve the maximum.

:rofl:

:yoiks: