Underreported: Unfair Crack and Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines

EPISODE · Feb 28, 2008 · 30 MIN

Underreported: Unfair Crack and Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines

from Underreported from WNYC's The Leonard Lopate Show · host New York Public Radio, WNYC

According to current federal sentencing guidelines, convictions for the sale of 500 grams of powder cocaine – and only 5 grams of crack cocaine – both result in a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence. Jesselyn McCurdy, legislative counsel for the ACLU, explains why this sentencing disparity is unfair and fails to address the larger problem of the drug trade. Karen Garrison is the mother of 2 sons who are each serving long sentences in federal prison for non-violent crack cocaine offenses.

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Underreported: Unfair Crack and Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines

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