PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Pass the Fair Sentencing Act
  1. Signatures
    172 out of 2,000
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. House of Representatives
  2. Created By
    Matt Kelley
    New Haven, CT
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

For more than two decades, the minimum sentences for crack and powder cocaine have been a clear representation of inequalities inherent in the American criminal justice system.

Possession of five grams of crack carries a minimum of five years in prison, while it would take 100 times that amount to get that same sentence for powder cocaine. Crack tends to be favored by people of lower socioeconomic standing, and while most users are white, the overwhelming majority of those arrested for crack are black.

The House of Representatives is set to vote soon on the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which would increase to 28 grams the amount of crack necessary to trigger the five-year sentence, reducing the disparity from 100:1 to 18:1.

This is a compromise and it doesn't erase the disparity entirely, nor is it retroactive. But it is a much-needed step toward fairness in a broken criminal justice system. Use the form below to urge your representantive in the House to support the bill.

Recent Signatures

Pass the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010

Greetings,

The House of Representatives is expected to vote soon on the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which addresses the unjust, ineffective sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. While the bill falls short of fully eliminating this failed sentencing structure, it is a step in the right direction and I urge you to vote to pass it. As you know, the U.S. Senate has passed a similar bill, so the power to make this important reform a reality rests with the House.

Studies have shown that while most crack users are white, more than 80% of those arrested for the drug are black. Under currently law, possession of five grams of crack cocaine -- the weight of two pennies -- carries a minimum sentence recommendation of five years in federal prison.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this reform will save the federal government $42 million over five years, but the savings will be even greater than that. Imprisoning thousands of drug users has taken an incredible toll on some of our country's poorest communities, and has deepened economic disparities.

As the Washington Post pointed out in a recent editorial, this reform has earned support from diverse voices within both parties. It is an overdue adjustment to our criminal justice system, and the power to make it happen is in your hands. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/20/AR2010072005364.html

The Fair Sentencing Act is a step toward sensible drug policy and fiscal responsibility, and I urge you to support this important legislation.

[Your name]

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