Pubdate: Mon, 05 Nov 2007
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2007 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://www.tbo.com/news/opinion/submissionform.htm
Website: http://www.tampatrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: Brenda Snipes

MORE REFORM NEEDED

Equal justice under the law still remains elusive for 20,000 people 
serving federal sen-tences for crack cocaine, de-spite the U.S. 
Sentencing Commission's long-awaited reform of federal sentencing 
guidelines for crack, effective Nov. 1.

These prisoners are currently serving sentences so harsh that they 
will no longer be imposed on future defendants, but they are 
ineligible for relief because the new guideline is not yet 
retroactive. People serving mandatory minimum sentences for crack 
cocaine under the very laws that created the 100:1 sentencing 
disparity between crack and powder cocaine are also not affected by 
the new guideline. Only Congress can change mandatory minimum laws.

The Sentencing Commission should make the new guideline retroactive 
and Congress must act decisively and now to reform mandatory sentencing laws.

Brenda H. Snipes

Riverview
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