Senate Committee on the Judiciary Discusses Reforming Crack/Cocaine Laws

This afternoon a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Federal Cocaine Sentencing Laws; Reforming the 100:1 Crack Powder Disparity” met to discuss updating what Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) called, “arbitrary, unnecessary, and unjust” crack/cocaine legislation.

The hearing, chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) discussed crack/cocaine laws with a panel of five experts on the issues. The Committee concluded that while the drug that makes crack and cocaine have an affect on the mind and body was the same, the circumstances that affect the user for each drug were not.

Crack, the Committee discussed, was detrimental to more than just individuals, but to communities as well. Proper sentencing for drug users was a hot issue discussed, and Biden urged the need to help addicts recover. Hopefully, by aiding addicts in their recovery, we can lessen the dependency many in our nation have on both crack and cocaine.

Comments

[sambrown]

Americans believe in a system of justice where all individuals are treated fairly under the law. But mandatory minimum sentencing laws prohibit judges from considering all the facts in a criminal case when determining sentences. The result is one-size-fits-all justice that ignores defendants' life circumstances, criminal history and role in the offense.
sambrown

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