skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Supreme Court Decision Could Reduce Racial Disparity in Drug Laws

play audio
Play

Tuesday, December 11, 2007   

New York – Liberal and conservative organizations agree Monday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on sentencing for drug crimes could be of great importance to African-American communities, and also could mark the start of wider reforms in drug laws.

The court ruled that federal judges may ignore existing federal sentencing guidelines and use their own discretion in cases involving crack cocaine.

Since the 1980s, dealing crack has carried penalties 100 times as severe as those for distributing the powdered form of the drug. The difference was based on the perception at the time that crack was much more harmful to users. That perception later was found to be wrong; the two forms are equally damaging.

Bill Piper with the liberal Drug Policy Alliance in New York says the change should ease disproportional effects on African-Americans.

"The vast majority of people getting arrested for crack cocaine offenses federally are black, and most of these are low-level offenders."

Drug experts say crack cocaine generally has been used mostly in the African-American community, while Caucasian users have favored the powdered form.

John McWhorter with the conservative Manhattan Institute agrees that the decision can reverse mistakes made a quarter-century ago.

"The idea among people of both colors at the time was that these laws would help break the stranglehold of crack over inner city communities. It didn't work the way we expected. Far too many people ended up going to jail."

Though the ruling affects only federal court sentencing guidelines, it is of particular interest in New York, which has the country’s most severe sentencing laws for drug crimes. Piper says the Supreme Court action will definitely boost efforts to change those laws.

"It's part of a growing momentum in favor of reducing racial disparities being caused by the 'war on drugs.'"

Piper notes that Monday's Supreme Court decision is not the only major change in drug enforcement on the horizon. Later today, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines Commission also is expected to issue revised recommendations.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021