While the increased sentences were intended to decrease or deter the violence surrounding the sale and possession of crack cocaine, the actual effect of the sentencing law has been that a disproportionate number of minorities and economically disadvantaged people are receiving long prison sentences for crack cocaine drug crimes. ![]() ![]() Yet, a person would need to be caught possessing 100 times that amount in powder cocaine to receive the same automatic minimum sentence. In fact, after the increased federal sentencing laws for crack cocaine were introduced, the disparity in the length of sentences for crack versus powder cocaine crimes became 100:1.Īn example given by the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch illustrates the extreme sentencing disparity clearly: A person possessing 5 grams of crack cocaine would automatically receive a minimum sentence of 5 years in federal prison. However, this tough stance on sentencing was not taken with other similar drugs, including powder cocaine, because there was not the same rise in violence associated with powder cocaine.Īs a result of the tough stance taken, the increased penalties for crack cocaine created large disparities in sentencing for the possession of similar amounts of other drugs. So, in 1986, to combat crack cocaine and the associated violence, the federal government implemented harsh sentencing guidelines for crimes involving crack cocaine. ![]() ![]() In the 1980s, the use and sale of crack cocaine rose drastically, and so did violence related to crack cocaine.
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