FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â
Date:Â March 11, 2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Contact:Â [email protected]Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
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BREAKING NEWS:
Senate Judiciary Votes to Reform Federal Crack Cocaine Sentencing Policies
Eliminates first mandatory minimum since Nixon Administration
WASHINGTON, D.C. â Moments ago, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed a bill that would reduce the sentencing disparity between federal crack and powder cocaine offenses.Â
The bipartisan vote to approve an amended version of Senator Richard Durbinâs (D-Ill.) bill, S. 1789, acknowledged that disparate sentencing policies enacted for federal crack cocaine offenses in 1986 have had a negative impact on the nationâs criminal justice system.Â
The amended bill would reduce the ratio between crack and powder cocaine from 100:1 to 20:1 and direct the U.S. Sentencing Commission to enhance penalties for aggravating factors like violence or bribery of a law enforcement officer. Significantly, the bill also would eliminate the mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of crack.
âThis is an exciting vote, but also disappointing. We hoped the Committee would go further in making crack penalties the same as powder. There was no scientific basis for the 100:1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine created 24 years ago, and there is no scientific basis for todayâs vote of 20:1 ,â said FAMM President Julie Stewart. âHowever, if this imperfect bill becomes law, it will provide some long-overdue relief to thousands of defendants sentenced each year.
With regard to the billâs provision that would eliminate the mandatory sentence for simple possession of crack, Ms. Stewart stated, âIf enacted, this legislation would repeal a mandatory minimum law for the first time since the Nixon administration.â
Under the Senateâs proposed 20:1 ratio, a conviction for 28 grams of crack cocaine will trigger a five year prison sentence and for 280 grams of crack a 10 year sentence.  The 20:1 ratio could affect an estimated 3,100 cases annually, reducing sentences by an average of about 30 months. The bill would not, however, reduce sentences for those currently incarcerated for crack offenses. Impact of the amendmentâs other provisions has not yet been calculated.Â
The House Judiciary Committee passed its own crack cocaine sentencing reform bill on July 29. H.R. 3245, the Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009, introduced by Congressman Robert âBobbyâ Scott (D-V.A.), removes references to âcocaine baseâ from the U.S. Code, thus treating all cocaine, including crack, the same for sentencing purposes.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization supporting fair and proportionate sentencing laws that allow judicial discretion while maintaining public safety. For more information on FAMM, visit www.famm.org or contact Monica Pratt Raffanel at [email protected]
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You Can Make a Difference |
Dear friends, Even a directive from the president hasnât stopped the DEA from bullying the medical marijuana community. Help us hold the DEA accountable by donating today. Last month, DEA agents raided the home of a Colorado medical marijuana supplier who was providing sick people with the medicine they need. The raid came months after President Obama told federal law enforcement to stop arresting people who grow or supply medical marijuana in states where itâs legal. Weâre determined to end the harassment of medical marijuana patients and providers. By making a donation today, you can help hold the DEA responsible for its abuses. The DEA is defying the presidentâs directive on medical marijuana under the watchful eye of acting director Michele Leonhart, a Bush administration holdover and drug war zealot. We're mounting a campaign to block her from becoming the permanent head of the DEA. With your generous support, we can take the power to halt progress out of Michele Leonhart's hands. Donate today and help us demand an appointee who will approach our nationâs drug issues with reason, science and compassion. Sincerely, Bill Piper  |
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MARCH 10, 2010
More States Embrace Marijuana Decriminalization
Measures to impose a fine for marijuana possession make key advances this month in New Hampshire, Hawaii, and Vermont
CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP assistant director of communications â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 202-905-2030
WASHINGTON, DC â With numerous states facing significant budget shortages, legislators and voters across the country this month have been giving overwhelming support to measures that would reduce the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana to a civil fine.
        Yesterday in New Hampshire, the state House voted 214-137 to pass H.B. 1653, a bill that would reduce the penalty for possession of up to a quarter-ounce of marijuana with a civil fine of up to $200.
        In Hawaii, the state Senate voted 22 to 3 on March 2 to pass SB 2450, a bill that would eliminate criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine of up to $300 for a first offense and $500 for a subsequent offense.
        And in Vermont, 72% of voters in Montpelier approved a non-binding ordinance asking the state legislature âto pass a bill to replace criminal penalties with a civil fine for adults who possess a small amount of marijuana.â
        âTaken together, these developments demonstrate how an increasing number of voters and lawmakers across the country no longer support the notion that otherwise law-abiding citizens should be arrested, slapped with a criminal record and possibly thrown behind bars, simply for choosing to use a substance that is safer than alcohol,â said Karen OâKeefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. âWe know from efforts in other states that decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana allows police to focus on more serious crimes and also produces a net financial gain through saved law-enforcement costs and the revenue generated by civil fines. Lawmakers everywhere should take heed of these examples, especially in these troubled economic times.âÂ
        Currently 12 states have laws that reduce the penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana to a civil fine. A decriminalization bill in Rhode Island is co-sponsored by 48% of House members. Â
        With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.
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