Lowering crack sale sentences

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

The U.S. Sentencing Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to allow some 19,500 federal prison inmates, most of them black, to seek reductions in their crack cocaine sentences.

Here's the whole article/ Panel Allows Easing of Crack Sentences - AOL News


Basically, the commission found that the previous guidelines were too harsh, but what do you think about this? Does it raise the probability of an increase on drug sales?

Balla

Video Games Moderator

lawl "most of them black" *ahem* anyway

Thats stupid, srsly... why reduce it?? once again the goverment is caring little about the drugs in our economy and more on the violence of video games

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

I also found it odd that the article said "most of them black" .. seemed like they had an agenda. But anyway..

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

The issue is that there was very unfair sentencing guidelines relating to crack cocaine. A person posessing a small amount of crack cocaine would recieve a very harsh sentence while someone posessing a significantly larger amount of powdered cocaine would receive a significantly less harsh sentence.

It was always believed that it targeted black people because crack cocaine is much cheaper than powder cocaine.

All it did really was make the penalty for powder cocaine and crack cocaine more equal....which it should be. This is definitely good news in my eyes for our country. This has been a very unfair practice for way too long.

Necro

VIP Room Moderator

Now lets increase sentencing for rape, and molestation. Jesus dudes getting like 2 years. Fuck that...

Blitzkrieg

Administrator

I understand Dak and that's a good point.. but why lower the sentences on crack sales? If anything, they should give cocaine sales a stiffer penalty.. I don't want people selling to minors more frequently just because the penalties aren't as severe.

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

The point was that people were being treated unfairly. The punishment did not fit the crime.

If now they want to raise the penalty for both forms of cocaine, that is a different story. They didn't want to do that though.

Could you imagine how crowded our jails would be if they upped the sentences for all types of cocaine?

Just having the crack sentences upped significanty increased incarceration levels in this country.

Necro

VIP Room Moderator

Yeah the jails around here are at like triple what they are supposed to be. They have to unload people a lot cause they cant keep them in there that long...

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

That is a big problem all over the country.

And what typically happens to someone who is locked in jail for a ridiculous amount of time for something relatively minor?

It severely increases their chances of becoming a career criminal.

It has been tried, and it failed. Time for a new path.

Necro

VIP Room Moderator

Pretty much and I've seen several people I know who have been in jail get pretty much set up for future shit, just to get sent back in. Most people who have been in jail for a period of time, always go back in. A lot of the time the cops are out to get them back in. Although in a few cases I did see cops actually befriend some kids who have been in jail, and are easier on them...