Overhauling Racist Rockerfeller Drug Laws!!-1/3

New York Legislature to Vote on Overhauling Draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws

The New York State Assembly is set to vote Wednesday on legislation that would allow judges to send drug offenders to substance abuse treatment instead of prison. The legislation would also allow thousands of prisoners jailed for nonviolent drug offenses to have their sentences reduce or commuted. Its the latest step in a long campaign to repeal the draconian Rockefeller laws. The laws impose lengthy minimum sentences on drug offenders, even those with no prior convictions. The laws have disproportionately targeted people of color, while giving prosecutors de facto control over how long convicts are jailed. [includes rush transcript]

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• drug
• laws
• racism
• prison
• crack
• cocaine
• marijuana
• rockerfeller
• democracy
• now

[mos619]

Having certain substances illegal doesn't really make sense. Crimes are actions, things people do. Its not a crime to have a gun, but if you use it to shoot a random guy it is. Its not a crime to drive a car, but if you drive wrecklessly it is. But with drugs it doesnt matter what you're doing just being in the vinicity of where some are found can get you arrested and it may not even be yours. Prohibition is stupid, regulation is smart...too bad there're so many stupid people.

[exacerbatedtaboo]

FURTHERMORE...You are NOT a criminal if you use or sell drugs. I wish people would quit referring to themselves as criminals for doing this. This is just adding fuel to the fire.

[dankbot420]

Source:

US Sentencing Commission, "Report to Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy," (Washington, DC: May 2007),

[dankbot420]

"Because it takes 100x more powder cocaine than crack cocaine to trigger the same mandatory minimum penalty, this penalty structure is commonly referred to as the '100-to-1 drug quantity ratio'

"possession of five grams or more of crack cocaine triggers a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison; simple possession of any quantity of any other controlled substance by a first-time offender including powder cocaine is a misdemeanor offense punishable by a maximum of one year in prison"

[KerriK73]

every sitting governor could pardon all non-violent drug offenses in their states.

the drug war exists for two reasons: to remove a superfluous population who don't contribute to wealth detection (how many rich people have you EVER heard of going to jail for drugs?), and to perpetuate the "economy" (which means it's profitable to keep ripping off taxpayers to build prisons and fund remarkably powerful prison guard lobbies).

it's more about class than race, though they are related.

[member351]

greetings. this has race written all over it. imagine if it was illegal to listen to music. and if you were caught listening to country or blue grass music you had to pay a penalty that was 100 times worse that listening to rap. of course it doesnt say whites would be penalitized alot harsher but of course since most people listen to country are white thats who would suffer the most. 80% of crack user are black. so thats why people say that

[Goldwing777777]

The word racist is so over use even when there's no nationally involved, just over the top.

Not to mention people that love to abuse others, waiting to scream the R word so they can momentary feel some kind of personal worth.

Using the R word is as bad as the N word, J word or the W word.

What the hell dose drugs have to do with race?

NOTHING!

[StandUp555]

Your first guest ( Kirk James ) makes it so clear that the system is flawed. The people that should be locked up and criminalized are probably those that work to maintain this system of continued economic slavery IMO !

BTW....

Madoff :

... keeping silent ( to protect the establishment ?)

... still living in his 7 mio$ penthouse "prison" ( bribes ? )

Of course, Martha Stewart had to go to jail ..

.. great work SEC !

[StandUp555]

Thankyou for your EXCELLENT reporting work !

How many US Citizens now have a Criminal Record for non-violent substance abuse ?

This criminalization of so many people will obviously make it more difficult for these people to get a decent - well paid - job afterwards.

This in turn may give them no option but to look for "other means" to earn their living - repeating the cycle of course.

[honeybees1]

Rock died while banging megan Marshack his 25 year old aid,still maried at the time this makes him a lier and a cheat ore a perfect polititian.Law enforcement is in bed with our polotitians thats why we can't drop the Rock just that simple.

[bluzy25]

Well the US is going forward by removing manditory sentences and Canada is now introducing a bill that will move us towards manditory minimum sentences. Wow the conservatives are really smart!

[librano]

I don't think everything should be legalized... Things like cocaine and heroin are really harmful to the health of users and they are highly addictive.

The issue is not the freedom of whether people should use them or not, but that addicts of these drugs usually become unproductive and end up in real criminal activity to support their addiction. I think it is our responsibility as adults to at least protect kids from these harmful substances.

Hemp, on the other hand, is a different story.