• Congress begins to reduce 'unjust' cocaine sentences. Crackhead invasion on the streets imminent.
    31 replies, posted
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/opinion/30thu3.html[/url] [release][b]The 1986 federal drug law that punished people caught with crack cocaine far more severely than those caught with powder cocaine was a disaster on many levels. It undermined faith in the justice system by discriminating against poor and mainly minority crack users and favoring affluent white users who preferred the chemically identical powdered form.[/b] Congress tinkered at the margins of the law but failed to eliminate the sentencing disparity when it passed the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.[b] Now Republican lawmakers are trying to compound a longstanding injustice by opposing a proposal that would allow some people sentenced under the original law to apply for reductions in their prison terms.[/b] The original law was grossly unjust.[b] It mandated a minimum 10-year sentence for anyone caught with 50 grams of crack — about the weight of a candy bar. To get a comparable sentence, a person arrested for powdered cocaine would have to be caught with 5,000 grams — enough to fill a briefcase.[/b] Instead of equalizing sentences when it revisited the issue in 2010, Congress lowered the penalties for some crack offenses and reduced the sentencing disparity between crack and powered cocaine from 100 to 1 to 18 to 1. The United States Sentencing Commission, which sets federal guidelines, has issued temporary sentencing rules for people who were convicted of offenses after the new law took effect last fall. The commission is also empowered to determine if people convicted of trafficking under the original law should be eligible to apply for limited sentence reductions. The commission has allowed retroactive reductions in other cases. If it votes to do so at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, [b]about 12,000 federal inmates could become eligible to apply for an average reduction of 37 months.[/b] [b]Republican lawmakers, however, are trying to intimidate the commission into rejecting retroactivity. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, for example, has threatened to require the commission to pay the administrative costs of reducing sentences out of its budget. [/b]The commission should ignore this harassment and vote in favor of sentencing fairness.[/release] I remember watching a few of the Republican nomination videos that were dated in the 80's. If you hear 'predators on the streets' or 'street predators' they're referring to black people.
This is good, sentencing for drug crimes in general in the US are pretty fucking harsh.
It's one of those laws to make everything fair and equal and to help stop overcrowding in prisons, two birds with one stone.
Edit
Why can you go to prison for simple drug possession anyway
once again republicans are being assholes [editline]30th June 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Zeke129;30807277]Why can you go to prison for simple drug possession anyway[/QUOTE] because it's immoral to do drugs praise the lord
There are big issues with the prison industrial complex. They lobby hard for tougher punishments because the more people in jail the more money these private prisons make. There are way too many special interests involved in drug laws.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;30807277]Why can you go to prison for simple drug possession anyway[/QUOTE] Think of the children Zeke!
[QUOTE=Zeke129;30807277]Why can you go to prison for simple drug possession anyway[/QUOTE] duh because it destroys the very fabric of society [sp]or something[/sp]
[QUOTE=Tunak Mk. II;30809316]duh because it destroys the very fabric of society [sp]or something[/sp][/QUOTE] crackheads won't destroy fabric! they'll simply nick it and sell it to a pawnshop in order to get more crack
[QUOTE=Tunak Mk. II;30809316]duh because it destroys the very fabric of society [sp]or something[/sp][/QUOTE] erodes :science:
don't these lawmakers realise that the more you demonise a substance, not only does it become more desirable but it becomes harder to create pure forms so even dirtier drugs are sold on the streets? maybe that's what they want
[QUOTE=Sanius;30810050]don't these lawmakers realise that the more you demonise a substance, not only does it become more desirable but it becomes harder to create pure forms so even dirtier drugs are sold on the streets. maybe thats what they want[/QUOTE] plus it gives more profit to the drug runners from central america if you legalise drugs, of course it won't make the gang wars vanish overnight but it'll sure as hell make things better
EDIT: Nevermind. Seems like a bad idea, I don't like it. Rather not have crackheads roaming the streets..
[QUOTE=JDK721;30807378]once again republicans are being assholes [editline]30th June 2011[/editline] because it's immoral to do drugs praise the lord[/QUOTE] [img]http://cdn.singersroom.com/news/pics/2009/02/madea_23_b.jpg[/img] [b]Halle-lu-yer! [/b]
[QUOTE=Angry Pineapple;30810865]EDIT: Nevermind. Seems like a bad idea, I don't like it. Rather not have crackheads roaming the streets..[/QUOTE] please explain why people should be incarcerated for victimless crimes also take these things into consideration: 1) the US has the MOST inmates in the world - even more than china 2) the US has the HIGHEST incarceration rate in the world 3) the US is broke
[QUOTE=Angry Pineapple;30810865]EDIT: Nevermind. Seems like a bad idea, I don't like it. Rather not have crackheads roaming the streets..[/QUOTE] why arrest someone for doing cocaine if it's only hurting themselves? why incarcerate them and spend tons of tax money on that?
[QUOTE=RichyZ;30811850]because drugs are bad and black people are a danger to this society![/QUOTE] clearly. also, love the avatar.
Something tells me the drugs aren't the only line of business the major crime organizations practice.
What about pot sentences?
[QUOTE=RichyZ;30811850]because drugs are bad and black people are a danger to this society![/QUOTE] wasnt that killerjc's avatar at one point
Everyone should use that avatar.
k
[QUOTE=J!NX;30812230]What about pot sentences?[/QUOTE] Pot is worse than cocaine
super yurtle where is your avatar from
[QUOTE=J!NX;30812230]What about pot sentences?[/QUOTE] Pot kills all the time 70% of the time
[QUOTE=Lonestriper;30814904]Pot kills all the time 70% of the time[/QUOTE] my bro overdosed after using a pot needle
[QUOTE=JDK721;30815421]my bro overdosed after using a pot needle[/QUOTE] I had an intervention after the cops found me sucking some guy's dick for a single rock of pot. Shit ruins your life, man.
Prisons make money the more prisoners they have in them, because they are privately owned. this results in the prisons encouraging repeat offenses by creating an enviornment that 1. fucks up the inmates minds to the point where they cannot function in normal society and 2. if they do get released its much more likely they will return as they would have a very hard time adapting to normal life. even if they managed. the prisons encourage negative behaviors that could lead to even more severe criminal activity. Gangs even form prison cultures that are discreetly "encouraged" by the prisons themselves. its just one big fucking mess. basically a bunch of lobbyists went at "hurr we believe in freedom so give us the freedom to control your prisons for profit" and the idiots in the pentagon were all like "KAY" im going off on a tangent here but i hate how the word freedom is used. its just so... corrupted at this point. while it is actually a freedom, being 'free' doesnt mean you should be allowed to fuck everything over.
[QUOTE=Mattk50;30827760]Prisons make money the more prisoners they have in them, because they are privately owned. this results in the prisons encouraging repeat offenses by creating an enviornment that 1. fucks up the inmates minds to the point where they cannot function in normal society and 2. if they do get released its much more likely they will return as they would have a very hard time adapting to normal life. even if they managed. the prisons encourage negative behaviors that could lead to even more severe criminal activity. Gangs even form prison cultures that are discreetly "encouraged" by the prisons themselves. its just one big fucking mess. basically a bunch of lobbyists went at "hurr we believe in freedom so give us the freedom to control your prisons for profit" and the idiots in the pentagon were all like "KAY" im going off on a tangent here but i hate how the word freedom is used. its just so... corrupted at this point. while it is actually a freedom, being 'free' doesnt mean you should be allowed to fuck everything over.[/QUOTE] This man hates freedom and wants to destroy America arrest him.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.