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Years ago, when the federal government created disparities in the sentencing of crack versus powder cocaine, many states followed suit. As a result, the black community was devastated with Draconian prison sentences, in which individuals with barely enough crack to weigh were given dozens of years in the penitentiary.
The federal government finally came to its senses and changed the law, making it marginally more equitable than it was before. The problem now though is that many states have not yet made the same change.
The arguments used to justify longer sentences are that crack creates more crime and is more addictive than powder. Also, the tougher sentences were imposed in 1986, when basketball star Len Bias died from an overdose. It was originally reported that Bias had smoked crack, but a teammate later testified that Bias had snorted powder cocaine instead.
The disparity between crack and powder sentencing had originally been 100 to 1. It has since been reduced to 18 to 1 under the Obama administration. Critics say that this number is still extraordinarily high.
Fourteen states followed the federal law on crack versus powder sentencing when it was originally imposed. Missouri is the worst, giving a sentencing disparity that is 75 to 1 for crack versus powder cocaine, creating one of the most racially imbalanced prison systems in the United States.
The Associated Press tells the story of Dan Viets, a district attorney in Missouri, who works on quite a few drug cases. Viets has a client who was convicted of drug trafficking with nine grams of crack. He now faces a prison term of 10 years to life when he is sentenced next month.
"It's just another form of cocaine, after all," Viets said. "The hysteria around crack cocaine in the '80s pretty much has been disproved."
Obviously, the sentencing disparity needs to be addressed, since long prison sentences for crack possession have undermined the stability of the African American family. Additionally, the violence around drug wars has devastated communities all across America, leading to the chaos that we have today. I know a few children who grew up with parents addicted to crack, and the effects are unimaginable.
While I cannot disagree with those who argue that crack is more destructive than powder, the effects of crack on our society are not as devastating as the sentencing disparities. The black community finds itself under assault for the drugs that are imported, the violence that comes with the drugs and the long sentences that are given to black men and women who leave their children behind. Any responsible politician would seek a balance between community safety and social survival.
Perhaps there needs to be an overhaul of the entire criminal justice system.
Drug offenders who are addicted should be rehabilitated and positioned to be set free as productive fathers and mothers. Those responsible for selling drugs should be given skills and opportunities during their time in prison that will open doors for them to have jobs when they get home. Sure, some will still engage in criminal activity, but at least many of them will have options.
The point here is that it's time for our society to engage in some creative incarceration and stop focusing solely on punishing its citizens. Mass incarceration is counterproductive, expensive and harmful to America. It's time to start making some sense.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here. 
Comments: (11)
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By: rightorwrong on 9/02/2010 6:17AM
what is needed is bible believing christians ministrying in these prisons to these young men and women and their families as well as outside of prisons because they will come out christian witnessing to gangs so that they come out of this gang mentality.
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By: mswll4 on 9/02/2010 6:22AM
DR BOWAT, You cannot tell BLACKS that crack-cocaine is not good for you,can you? They should leave drugs alone and get an education. As i heard one COLORED BOY said, EDUCATION is for WHITE FOLKS.
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By: garry on 9/03/2010 7:14PM
what color was the boy?
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By: poetrysez on 9/02/2010 10:53PM
I agree with your last two paragraphs.
Crack dealers should be the ones who get tougher sentences. Back in the day I thought dust was ravaging the black communuty but there's never been any drug that has destroyed more black families then crack...not even heroin. Even though there's no price for such a disgusting thing to do, women have been known to let their children be sexually violated for a nickle bag.
There was a teenager who let boys at a party have sex with her younger sister in exchange for some crack.
When I was growing up there was this handsome young guy that lived in the neighborhood. He was from a good home at least it appeared to be a good home. He went away to college and then came back home to help his father in the family busines.
For some reason this educated/handsome man had a falling out with his family and eventually started letting guys bend him over...just so that this educated/handsome man could get some crack to smoke. Neighbors said that his downfall begin when he started hanging out with the wrong people. Only the fly on the wall would really know why someone with such promise would end their life in such a way ( yes he and his girlfriend died ).
This guy was traded back and forth for less then the price of a carton of smokes. The guys who had sex with him claimed that they weren't gay and he was covering his debt. This guy had a girlfriend and when he caught HIV so did she.
Powder is bad but crack will make you do things that are so awful, that you would want all of the mirrors within your reach destroyed. There're people who're in recovery from crack who're still ashamed of the lifestyle they led as a crack addict.
18-to-1 may still be too high but not when sentencing a crack dealer. Unfortunately, addicts have and will get caught up in the sentencing. Although, most crack addicts don't sell crack.
This is why more more drug education is needed. Children need to hear the raw truth about drugs and what it does to not just the user but the whole family.
Chidren need to go to the hospitals and see first hand what a crack baby going through withdrawals behaves like. It's a painful sight to see. Children need to go to a hospital or hospice and see what a young woman/male looks like after they caught AIDS from the risky behaviors associated wuth crack use.
Children needs to know that you can catch HIV from sharing works ( stems). How many people have gums that bleed? How many people have sores or cuts in their mouth? How many of this people tell you they do? You only need blood from one person and an open wound in the mouth another person for HIV to be transmitted.
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By: bob on 9/02/2010 7:37AM
Well you can blame the Government for the drugs in our country. They are the ones that let the borders wide open and are also heavy into the drug trade. If you really want to be a hero for the black population Boyce, Find out how the government runs the drug trade in this country. We need drugs at this time for our economy. As a money man you should know this Watkins. Imagine what would happen to our economy if the drug trade suddenly stopped.
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By: Sallie on 9/07/2010 3:51PM
It is not just our government, it is greedy businessmen, corporate America, and other governments that allow drugs to be a part of our national way of being.
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By: Eric on 9/02/2010 11:36AM
Good! And, still balck people haven't yet learned to stay away from that nonsense! If, you aren't willing to learn, then you only get what you deserve! Lock them up, and throw away the key!
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By: Tyrone on 9/02/2010 10:48PM
I just wonder when families are ready to stop allowing our family members to keep on slanging when we know it's self destructive behavior. Our own communities suffer not any other race but ours!
As long as we turn a blind eye for one of ours to deal and steal the life out of another weaker individual the longer it will hold us back. Look at the next generation almost hopeless before they turn 18! I say this as a person that was sentenced under the Federal guidelines and have not been back since my release as of 1997. The streets are our demise not a come up.
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By: poetrysez on 9/03/2010 12:18AM
I agree with your last two paragraphs.
Crack dealers should be the ones who get tougher sentences. Back-in-the-day I thought dust was ravaging the black community but there's never been any drug that has destroyed more black families then crack...not even heroin.
Women have been known to let their children be
violated for a nickel bag. There was a teenager who let boys at a party have sex with her younger
sister in exchange for some crack.
When I was growing up there was this handsome young guy that lived in the neighborhood. He was from a good home at least it appeared to be a
good home. He went away to college after graduation he returned home to help his dad run the family business.
For some reason this educated/handsome man had a falling out with his family and eventually started letting guys bend him over...just so that this educated/handsome man could get some crack to smoke.
Neighbors said that his downfall begin when he started hanging out with the wrong people. Only the fly on the wall really know why someone with such promise would end their life in such a way ( yes he and his girlfriend died from AIDS ).
This guy was traded back and forth for less then the price of a carton of smokes. The guys who had sex with him claimed that they weren't gay and he was covering his debt.
Powder is bad but crack will make you do things that are so awful, that you would want all of the mirrors within your reach destroyed.
There're people who're in recovery from crack who're still ashamed of the lifestyle they led as a crack addict.
18-to-1 may still be too high but not when sentencing a crack dealer. Unfortunately, addicts have and will get caught up in the sentencing. Although, most crack addicts don't sell crack.
This is why more drug education is needed. Children need to hear the raw truth about drugs and what it does to not just the user but the whole family.
Children need to go to the hospitals and see first hand what a crack baby going through withdrawals behaves like. It's a painful sight to see. Children need to go to a hospital or hospice and see what a young woman/male looks like after they caught AIDS from the risky behaviors associated with crack use.
Children need to know that you can catch HIV from sharing works (stems). How many people have gums that bleed? How many people have sores or cuts in their mouth? How many of this people tell you they do? You only need blood from one person and an open wound in the mouth another person for HIV to be transmitted.
ALL DRUGS ARE BAD BUT SINCE THIS BLOG IS ABOUT CRACK AND POWDER. I'VE DECIDED TO SAVE THE REST OF THE SERMONE FOR ANOTHER BLOG ;)
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By: Ester on 9/05/2010 12:16PM
Drugs and prisons are big business. The drugs are allowed. Drug related incarceration makes big money for those who invest in prisons. There is and never has been a war on drugs. The war is against people. We the people need to get smart, and stop falling for the traps that have been set.
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