* President Obama and the Senate are putting "bipartisanship" ahead of

justice. *



Behind bars

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/cpsenate/?id=2128-183843&akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=1> 







*Demand real sentencing reform now:*



Click here

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/cpsenate/?id=2128-183843&akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=2>



Dear Aldon,



Every year, thousands of people are put away for long prison terms

because of arcane and racist sentencing laws. They punish people caught

with crack cocaine — who are often Black and poor — 100 times more

harshly than those caught with powder cocaine. *These laws have broken

up families while doing nothing to make our communities safer, and

they’re part of the reason 1 in 15 Black adults is behind bars.*^1



Last week, the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee had a chance to

advance a bill to eliminate the disparity. *Instead, they chose to

reduce it*^2 *—with no good reason other than to please “moderate”

Democrats and Republicans*. And President Obama, who for years has

championed ending the disparity,^3 is supporting the bill — apparently

because it’s bipartisan.^4 It’s shameful.



Can you take a moment to sign our letter to President Obama and House

Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding they show leadership and push for the

House version of the bill, which would eliminate the sentencing

disparity?^5 It only takes a moment:



http://act.colorofchange.org/go/cpsenate/?id=2128-183843&akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=4 



<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/cpsenate/?id=2128-183843&akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=3> 







Today’s unfair sentencing laws treat five grams of crack cocaine the

same as 500 grams of powder cocaine — a disparity of 100-to-1. Under the

Senate Judiciary Committee’s plan, the laws would change to make 28

grams of crack trigger the same sentence as 500 grams of powder.^6 As

one journalist put it, the proposal would “make the law one-fifth as

racist as it used to be.”^7



Here’s what New York defense attorney Gary G. Becker told the Sentencing

Law and Policy blog:



/The Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to “reduce” the crack

cocaine/powder cocaine punishment disparity from 100:1 to 20:1 is a

scandalous, racist, and politically motivated act. In view of the

near-unanimous consensus that there is no justifiable basis for

punishing crack cocaine more harshly than powder cocaine, and that the

100:1 ratio was both arbitrary and irrational — even [the] DOJ called

for elimination of the disparity — the Senate Judiciary Committee

settles on an equally unsupportable, irrational, and arbitrary

punishment scheme, one that will disproportionately affect minorities,

destroy families, and promote disrespect for the law./^8



Attorney General Eric Holder said last week, “There is no law

enforcement or sentencing rationale for the current disparity between

crack and cocaine powder offenses, and I have strongly supported

eliminating it to ensure our sentencing laws are tough, predictable and

fair.” Yet he went on to give his stamp of approval to the Senate’s 20:1

bill and urged Congress to approve it so it can be signed into law.^9



There is no disagreement that the current sentencing approach pulls

non-violent drug offenders out of their communities for unreasonable

lengths of time. And most of the committee members, who unanimously

supported this plan, acknowledge that the disparity disproportionately

affects Black communities.^10



This is politics at its worst. It’s legislation that harms communities

instead of helping them — a direct result of political horse-trading

that throws the most vulnerable among us under the bus.



Thankfully, there’s a bill in the House that would completely eliminate

the sentencing disparity. But if some Senators have their way and are

able to quickly send their bill to the House, this diluted compromise

could override the House’s bill — our only remaining chance at real reform.



Allowing that to happen would be disastrous. It will mean more broken

families and more unequal justice. It will mean that instead of seizing

an opportunity to help our communities, Congress and President Obama

have decided to write a scaled-back form of discrimination into our laws.



Can you take a moment to tell President Obama and House Speaker Nancy

Pelosi to fight for passage of the House version of the bill? And when

you do, please ask your family and friends to do the same:



http://act.colorofchange.org/go/cpsenate/?id=2128-183843&akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=6 



<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/cpsenate/?id=2128-183843&akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=5> 







Thanks and Peace,



-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Milton and the rest of the

ColorOfChange.org team

    March 17th, 2010



*Help support our work.* ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU--your

energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large

corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures

your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:



http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=8

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=7>



References



1. "1 in 100 U.S. Adults Behind Bars, New Study Says," New York Times,

02-28-08

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/82?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=10

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/82?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=9>



2. “Senate bill would reduce sentencing disparities in crack, powder

cocaine cases,” Washington Post, 3-13-10

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/100?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=12

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/100?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=11>



3. “Obama Administration Calls for End to Crack-Powder Sentencing

Disparity,” 4-29-09

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/102?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=14

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/102?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=13>



4. "Missing Element in Obama’s Ties With G.O.P. Leaders: Good

Chemistry," 2-24-10

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/121?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=16

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/121?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=15>



5. “Bad science and bad policy,” The New York Times, 3-2-10

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/88?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=18

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/88?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=17>



6. See ref 2



7. “Senate Says No To Ending Crack Disparity,” American Prospect blog,

3-11-10

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/112?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=20

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/112?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=19>



8. "Varied reactions to the crack/powder reform work of the Senate

Judiciary Committee," Sentencing Law and Policy blog, 03-11-10

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/122?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=22

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/122?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=21>



9. “Statement of the Attorney General on Senate Judiciary Committee’s

Approval of the Fair Sentencing Act,” 3-11-10

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/105?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=24

<http://act.colorofchange.org/go/105?akid=1378.1000188.zdKpuQ&t=23>



10. See ref 7







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