Finally, some justice on drug sentencing - The Denver Post

Finally, some justice on drug sentencing - The Denver Post

After more than two decades, a glaring, and unfair, disparity in the nation's sentencing laws is on its way to being corrected.

The House of Representatives this past week joined the Senate in changing a mid-1980s law that imposed much harsher sentences for crack cocaine than for powdered cocaine. Put simply, the disparity disproportionately affected blacks. That's because crack is a cheaper form of cocaine more prevalently used by African-Americans in low-income, inner-city neighborhoods.

President Obama, who on the campaign trail said he wanted to eliminate the 1986 law, is expected to sign the new legislation. Congress' action narrows the ridiculous gap that was known as the "100-to-1 ratio" to 18 to 1. Before, possession of 5 grams of crack meant a mandated five-year prison sentence, but it would take possession of 100 times as much powder cocaine to get the same sentence.