Definitely Nazgol Ghandnoosh!

In recent years we’ve made some positive changes to the federal system that specifically address both racial disparities and our over reliance on mandatory minimum sentencing laws, especially as they relate to low level drug offenses.

In 2010, Congress took a huge step in the right direction by address the crack/cocaine powder sentencing disparity that existed for decades. The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, reduced from 100:1 to 18:1 the quantity disparity in the amount of powder cocaine versus crack cocaine that triggered a federal mandatory minimum sentence.

This change came after decades of advocacy highlighting the racial disparities between those sentenced for crack offenses, primarily African Americans, who received longer terms of imprisonment versus powder cocaine, even though the drugs are pharmacological the same.