Congress Reduces ? /Powder ? Sentencing Disparities

DarcSkies777
DarcSkies777 Members Posts: 5,600 ✭✭✭
edited July 2010 in The Social Lounge
Today, the House passed legislation reducing the two-decades-old sentencing disparity between ? and powder ? offenses. The Senate passed an identical bill in March and the legislation is now heading to President Obama, who supports the reform effort.

This is a historic day, with House Republicans and Democrats in agreement that U.S. drug laws are too harsh and must be reformed. The tide is clearly turning against the failed war on drugs.

Before the changes, a person with just five grams of ? received a mandatory sentence of five years in prison. That same person would have to possess 500 grams of powder ? to earn the same punishment. This discrepancy, known as the 100-to-1 ratio, was enacted in the late 1980s and was based on myths about ? ? being more dangerous than powder. Scientific evidence, including a major study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has proven that ? and powder ? have identical physiological and psychoactive effects on the human body.

The 100-1 ratio has caused myriad problems, including perpetuating racial disparities, wasting taxpayer money, and targeting low-level offenders instead of dangerous criminals. African Americans comprise 82 percent of those convicted for federal ? ? offenses but only 30 percent of ? users, and 62 percent of people convicted for ? offenses were low-level sellers or lookouts.

Advocates pushed to totally eliminate the disparity but ultimately a compromise was struck between Democrats and Republicans to reduce the 100-to-1 disparity to 18-to-1. The compromise also eliminated the five year mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of five grams of ? (about two sugar packets worth). The repeal of that mandatory minimum is the first repeal of a mandatory minimum drug sentence since the 1970s. Overall, the compromise bill is expected to reduce the federal prison population by thousands of offenders and save an estimated $42 million in criminal justice spending over the first five years.

I'm overjoyed that thousands of people, mostly African American, will no longer be unjustly subjected to the harsh sentencing laws enacted in the 1980s. The compromise is not perfect and more needs to be done, but this is a huge step forward in reforming our country's overly harsh and wasteful drug laws.

SO basically there's still going to be racism in the court system and our laws. Just not as much.............YAY?

Comments

  • independentsoundlab
    independentsoundlab Members Posts: 351
    edited July 2010
    na..
    government cant make money with the goons in prison!!!! Demand isnt that high for coke/? with all them new drugs like ? .. Gotta keep the employment in the streets high.. you know that.. this is just a call to the wild..
  • DarcSkies777
    DarcSkies777 Members Posts: 5,600 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    ^^^ I see.

    And JANKLOW can you edit the title to say "Disparities?"
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    edited July 2010
    And JANKLOW can you edit the title to say "Disparities?"
    done and done, good sir
  • 1of1
    1of1 Members Posts: 37,468 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    SO basically there's still going to be racism in the court system and our laws. Just not as much.............YAY?

    Literally. Yay.
  • Swiffness!
    Swiffness! Members Posts: 10,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    lol, its like I said when the deal was first reached....

    Swiffness! wrote: »
    ? Sentencing Laws:
    Now with 80% Less Racist!

    But on the real, I think this is fantastic news. Going from 100:1 to 18:1 is a big improvement and ditching the five year mandatory is HUGE in my book.

    Most importantly tho, it um, HAPPENED. If you had asked me 3 years ago if it would be politically possible, I'd be like "? no". If you had asked me again on inauguration day, I still would've shrugged my shoulders and said no. Even when Durbin and Sessions announced the compromise, I assumed the "OBAMA WANTS TO HELP ? DEALERS" racist ? would kick in and the Republicunts would filibuster something they already agreed to....AGAIN.

    So ? it I'll celebrate. Yay! And ? those Congressional Black Caucus ? that lobbied for those "tougher" sentencing laws in the 80s because "? is ravaging our communities".....
  • Bcotton5
    Bcotton5 Members Posts: 51,851 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    Good ?
    10 characters
  • Ounceman
    Ounceman Members Posts: 6,702 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    Well, i guess it is a step in the right direction. even though it took 20 some odd years
  • Swiffness!
    Swiffness! Members Posts: 10,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    and destroyed how many Black families? As hypocritical, racist legislation required niggz to get locked up, as Caucasoids who had the same amount of dope on them/went home on probation, restitution, and suspended sentences, to continue on living life with their families?

    yup

    the damage has already been done

    rich white bouls in my high school would get busted driving ? w/ 8 ? on em and catch probation

    poor black boul from my class got busted with a couple ? vials, got scared thinkin bout dat mandatory time, tried to grab the cop's gun and got shot to death
  • Ounceman
    Ounceman Members Posts: 6,702 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    and destroyed how many Black families? As hypocritical, racist legislation required niggz to get locked up, as Caucasoids who had the same amount of dope on them/went home on probation, restitution, and suspended sentences, to continue on living life with their families?


    Good point. the racial disparity brought along with the sentencing would be a huge task to appropriate. reaganomics was a muthafucka
  • Iheart~Cali
    Iheart~Cali Members Posts: 5,991 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    na..
    government cant make money with the goons in prison!!!! Demand isnt that high for coke/? with all them new drugs like ? .. Gotta keep the employment in the streets high.. you know that.. this is just a call to the wild..

    Wrong lol. Why do you think they want them convicted in the first place?
  • The Prime Minister
    The Prime Minister Members Posts: 2,883 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    People can say what they want, but ? and powder ? are not the same. You could go to a club and maybe 1 outta 5 people in there has a petty blow habit.
    And they can function with that ? for years.

    But once someone hits that pipe it's a wrap. Game over.

    At any rate, I do support the reduction in sentencing for any kind of drug offense.
  • Funky Dr
    Funky Dr Banned Users Posts: 2,348 ✭✭
    edited July 2010
    SO basically there's still going to be racism in the court system and our laws. Just not as much.............YAY?

    That reminds me of an episode of Family Guy, when they were all playing the board game LIFE, and Cleveland was playing, and he said something like "every time I play I do a little bit better, but I never win in the end"

    I facepalmed...
  • politicalthug202
    politicalthug202 Members Posts: 3,098 ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    cant say barack didnt do nothing for blk ppl. the blk male incarceration rate should reduce after this.
    see blk people this is how you get ? done you dont stand outside calling ppl racist. you lobby congressmen on the quiet
    tip while white ppl are distracted with other ? like immigration. and let the legislative process work out.

    so what should we try to do next.
  • Iheart~Cali
    Iheart~Cali Members Posts: 5,991 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    cant say barack didnt do nothing for blk ppl. the blk male incarceration rate should reduce after this.
    see blk people this is how you get ? done you dont stand outside calling ppl racist. you lobby congressmen on the quiet
    tip while white ppl are distracted with other ? like immigration. and let the legislative process work out.

    so what should we try to do next.

    With jails/prisons being overcrowded such as they are, they really have no choice. It's either that or start having the DA drop cases altogether due to lack of time, manpower, and money and then nobody gets any money if the person isn't imprisoned at all. This is just the lesser of two evils, and I doubt it stems from any real desire to see an end to the racial disparity.
  • Funky Dr
    Funky Dr Banned Users Posts: 2,348 ✭✭
    edited July 2010
    With jails/prisons being overcrowded such as they are, they really have no choice. It's either that or start having the DA drop cases altogether due to lack of time, manpower, and money and then nobody gets any money if the person is convicted at all. This is just the lesser of two evils, and I doubt it stems from any real desire to close the racial disparity.

    yea you are right, its probably a move to get the justice system moving a little faster. Its like throwing useless stuff out of a plane to make it lighter and more efficient.
  • politicalthug202
    politicalthug202 Members Posts: 3,098 ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    With jails/prisons being overcrowded such as they are, they really have no choice. It's either that or start having the DA drop cases altogether due to lack of time, manpower, and money and then nobody gets any money if the person isn't imprisoned at all. This is just the lesser of two evils, and I doubt it stems from any real desire to see an end to the racial disparity.

    o agree with states being out of money is probably a huge component, but blk males are still going to benefeit.
    im pretty sure liberals are genuine in reducing the racial disparity. republicans not so much but in politics you have to compromise.
    besides im liberal and i wouldnt make ? and coke completly equal. i would say 5 to 1 is fair. alot of cokeheads are functional ppl
    ? heads not so much
  • Reina B
    Reina B Members Posts: 2,190 ✭✭
    edited July 2010
    potvscraxk1.jpg

    ..................
  • Maximus Rex
    Maximus Rex Members Posts: 6,354 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    I don't agree with this at all. All with bastard children society's ills can be traced be to drug addicts. Instead of putting the possession of ? on par with powder, it should've been vice versa.
  • Swiffness!
    Swiffness! Members Posts: 10,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    Funky Dr wrote: »
    That reminds me of an episode of Family Guy, when they were all playing the board game LIFE, and Cleveland was playing, and he said something like "every time I play I do a little bit better, but I never win in the end"

    I facepalmed...

    It wasn't LIFE. It was "Two Decades of Dignity".

    Cleveland: Thanks for including my Civil Rights boardgame in the game night rotation guys.
    Lois: Oh, we're always happy to play "Two Decades of Dignity." It makes us all feel a little less guilty.
    (Peter rolls dice and moves his gamepiece.)
    Peter (reading off a gamecard): For whistling at a white woman, go directly to jail. Aww, man doesn't anyone ever win at this game?
    Cleveland: You don't win. You just do a little better each time.

    rofl classic
  • Swiffness!
    Swiffness! Members Posts: 10,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    Reina B wrote: »
    potvscraxk1.jpg

    .......should be in every Elementary School.
  • Funky Dr
    Funky Dr Banned Users Posts: 2,348 ✭✭
    edited July 2010
    Swiffness! wrote: »
    It wasn't LIFE. It was "Two Decades of Dignity".

    Cleveland: Thanks for including my Civil Rights boardgame in the game night rotation guys.
    Lois: Oh, we're always happy to play "Two Decades of Dignity." It makes us all feel a little less guilty.
    (Peter rolls dice and moves his gamepiece.)
    Peter (reading off a gamecard): For whistling at a white woman, go directly to jail. Aww, man doesn't anyone ever win at this game?
    Cleveland: You don't win. You just do a little better each time.

    rofl classic

    LMAO!!!!

    Yea that was it!! Wow I suck at remembering ? ...
  • ceothachosen1
    ceothachosen1 Members Posts: 1,037 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    People can say what they want, but ? and powder ? are not the same. You could go to a club and maybe 1 outta 5 people in there has a petty blow habit.
    And they can function with that ? for years.

    But once someone hits that pipe it's a wrap. Game over.

    At any rate, I do support the reduction in sentencing for any kind of drug offense.
    there are plenty of functioning ? heads
  • Swiffness!
    Swiffness! Members Posts: 10,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    there are plenty of functioning ? heads

    whitney_official_2009_1_1000x1000.jpg
    bobby-brown1.jpg
    glenn+beck.jpg

    ..............................
  • waterproof
    waterproof Members Posts: 9,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2010
    and destroyed how many Black families? As hypocritical, racist legislation required niggz to get locked up, as Caucasoids who had the same amount of dope on them/went home on probation, restitution, and suspended sentences, to continue on living life with their families?

    word life, they slick with their ? that's what happen when there is a huge amount of our people stay dumb, deaf and blind and be on that "it gots nonthing to do with me ? !

    Put Poetry in the ? pipe and blow (c) Nas