There is a huge disparity between the sentences for those arrested for offenses related to powder cocaine (the drug of choice for privileged, suburbanites - majority Caucasian) and those arrested for crack cocaine (popular amongst lower class, inner city residents - majority African-American). African-Americans are disproportionately sentenced to longer jail terms under the current standard. The new ruling seeks to address the racially disproportionate statistics in this area.
It's interesting. Portions of the African-American community support the government's attempts to right what seems to be a racial injustice. Others want to maintain the stiffer penalties for crack, because the drug is wreaking havoc on inner-city communities. Groups who come to Chicago are likely hear about this issue in our new prayer tours this summer.
-Kelly Reed, CSM Chicago Co-City Director
Read the full Chicago Tribune article...
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