U.S. Sentencing Commission Votes to Apply New Crack Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines Retroactively

On June 30, 2011, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted unanimously to apply the new guidelines for a federal conviction of crack coc aine possession as established by the Fair Sentencing Act retroactively to those men and women currently incarcerated.

www.naacp.org... aine-sentencing-guid

This issue appears to be pushed on racial lines more than on the fact that the law is bad. Because more blacks are sentenced for this issue the NAACP wants to retroactively release prisoners or have their sentences reduced.

Of course they have gotten Eric Holder and the administration on board so perhaps this is a way for Obama to start appeasing the Black voters who may have lost faith in him.

Got to get them voters ready.........what a shame. Hey, I wonder if these wastes of skin will appear on the unemployed numbers list when released. Nah, they'll more than likely go back to their old job, of the new ones they learned at State U.

reply to post by adifferentbreed


These "wastes of skin" are still people. People that have problems like everyone. Hopefully getting locked up taught them a lesson and they are working on changing themselves for the better. I know a lot of people that went down the wrong path but corrected their ways and are great people. I myself have had my run in with the law and it made me rethink some life choices I was making.

Point is, people deserve the chance to reflect on their actions and correct them to be a productive member of society and many do just that. A lot of these drug laws keep small time offenders locked up so long they start to live the prison life instead having a chance at living a better life outside of prison.

reply to post by TheInterceptor


Yes but this being aided by people in the Obama administration at this time looks like he is simply catering to the black community to shore up that voter base.

reply to post by TheInterceptor


Everyone has problems, selling crack is not a problem, getting caught is because it's illegal. Apologist attitudes like this have helped put us where we are now, wanna bet on how many go back for the same thing or worse?

reply to post by adifferentbreed


Logically, they will re-offend at the current rate of recidivism. If there is an issue there, perhaps it is in our approach to punishment and rehabilitation?

reply to post by kro32


People caught with crack do not need jail time, they need counseling and rehabilitation. If you are a crackhead, you need serious help, not institutionalization on the tax payer dime. Sure, counseling and rehab also cost money, but we're talking pennies on the dollar compared to incarceration.

As to the first poster after the OP...exactly how do you think these people will be voting anytime soon considering all the recent legislation (as well as what's already been on the books) regarding prisoners and voting rights???

haha please? if your a crack head your messed up, no and's or if's about it, just like heroin, that s__t goes deep. Don't sit there and pretend that these people are in Jail because they sit around their house and smoke crack, they are in jail because they smoke crack and go out and do stupid s__t or try to sell it to people. I mean, at least be classy and stick to powder, don't go blowing up shacks in the middle of communities because you want to make a profit off some crack or because your craving. Point is these people shouldn't be getting let out of jail early, and rehab hasn't helped anyone, in fact most rehab facilities are MONEY makers, mainly cause its almost guaranteed that their people are going to relapse, and then the rehab will force them to return which has happened to many a folk. Obama is trying to please the African American population, and I agree that it is unfair, more whites should be in jail, I just feel like they are smarter about it, so they don't end up in jail as often... just saying.

reply to post by kro32

On June 30, 2011, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted unanimously to apply the new guidelines for a federal conviction of crack coc aine possession as established by the Fair Sentencing Act retroactively to those men and women currently incarcerated.



www.naacp.org...

This issue appears to be pushed on racial lines more than on the fact that the law is bad. Because more blacks are sentenced for this issue the NAACP wants to retroactively release prisoners or have their sentences reduced.

Of course they have gotten Eric Holder and the administration on board so perhaps this is a way for Obama to start appeasing the Black voters who may have lost faith in him.

Interesting thread, kro32. S&F.

At first I was unsure that this was legal, since ex post facto laws are strictly prohibited by the Constitution. But apparently these 'reverse laws' are legal:

A law may have an ex post facto effect without being technically ex post facto. For example, when a law repeals a previous law, the repealed legislation no longer applies to the situations it once did, even if such situations arose before the law was repealed. The principle of prohibiting the continued application of these kinds of laws is also known as Nullum crimen, nulla poena sine praevia lege poenali, particularly in European continental systems.

Ex post facto

Also, I think you are right about Obama using this to soothe ruffled black feathers.... just wait till you see what he does with the money he gets with the new Debt Ceiling agreement. More money to buy more votes!!

reply to post by TheInterceptor


Nobody spends a lot of time in jail for first time usage. It's almost always time served and probation. So if someone is in because of using, it's not their first dance. And the disparity of whites to blacks in prison is because most street level dealers are black or hispanic.

reply to post by 0zzymand0s

reply to post by adifferentbreed


Logically, they will re-offend at the current rate of recidivism. If there is an issue there, perhaps it is in our approach to punishment and rehabilitation?

More likely it's their approach to spitting at the law.