Turning Up The Heat On Sentencing Injustice

This spring, DPA launched a federal campaign to end the cruel and costly crack/cocaine sentencing disparity. The disparity creates enormous racial inequities in the federal justice system and leads federal law enforcement agencies to waste taxpayer money on locking up low-level, nonviolent offenders.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on the issue a month ago, and the Senate is now considering three bills that would either reduce or eliminate the disparity. This week, with help from supporters around the country, DPA turned up the heat.

Generous donations from reformers made it possible for DPA to call supporters in 10 states this week, and ask them to call key senators in support of ending the disparity. The result was that senators' phones were ringing off the hook, and the number of calls let their staff know that this issue is important to constituents.
Drug Policy Alliance