20, 000 crack users and dealers will be coming to a community near you sooner than you think! (legal, cocaine)

[Nirvana-Guy]

The idea was put forward by a bunch of morons who do not understand what crack does to a community. These morons want to lower penalties for crack users and dealers and want to release crack users and dealers already in prison!!

Why would anyone in their right minds want to do that?!?! Don't they know that crack users kill people over $5 for a hit of crack? Don't they know crackheads are violent, erratic, and cannot remember what they do when they smoke crack??? Don't they understand these guys will go back to smoking and selling crack the minute they hit the streets??? Don't they know crack is highly addictive and most users get hooked after the 2nd hit???

What the Hell is going on with the USA?!? Have we lost our minds??! Am I the only 1 outraged at this?!?

Here is the news piece on it:

Lowered crack terms could free 20,000 early

* Proposal to make change retroactive would set 2,500 free in a year
* Advocacy groups say harsher crack cocaine sentences discriminate
* Justice Department opposes retroactive change


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Sentencing Commission is considering retroactive changes that could mean shortened sentences for nearly 20,000 federal prisoners convicted of crack cocaine related offenses.

Moderator cut: copyrights

Lowered crack terms could free 20,000 early - CNN.com



Is American going to become a "crackhead nation"???

[Sooner_Nation_60]

I think this is probably in reaction to prison over-crowding. Release a few crack-heads and make room for the child molesters and murderers......

[Minnehahapolitan]

If we wanted these people in prison, we would need more prisons
If we need more prisons, we need to raise taxes to build them. The ramifications of elections, eh? Lock them away, and raise a few more dollars to do it.

[TriMT7]

Maybe those who merely possessed the crack - and all drugs - SHOULD be released from prison and sent to detox. It's ridiculously expensive to house a criminal in prison for a year, so it makes sense to invest in a person's potential - as small as it may be - rather than locking them up.

I'd much rather see crackheads sent to rehab, and then engaged in some sort of community development work (AKA, labor projects).

[Huckleberry3911948]

i am so glad you are making this post. drugs are a major problem.
wherever there is crack there is a lot of money being handed out.
often (not always) its comin from mom and dad.

[bily4]

Read the article. The purpose of the effort is to try to make criminal penalties equivalent for crack users and for powder cocaine users. Is there some reason one should be penalized much heavier than the other?

Guidelines that went into effect November 1 already have reduced the disparity between sentences for crack possession convictions and convictions for possessing cocaine in powder form.

Before the changes, a criminal found guilty of having one gram of crack cocaine would receive the same penalty as someone with 100 grams of the powder version.

[StillwaterTownie]

Simply do something about crack by legalizing and regulating it. A lot of cops would agree with me on that because they have seen the terrible horrors done to people who are closely involved in the underground drug market and are sick and tired of it. Cops know it doesn't do much good to arrest a crack pusher because as soon as they arrest one there's always yet another one who's been waiting in line to take his place.

"After 35-odd years of the drug war, we either catch the stupid ones and other drug dealers kill or drive off the other weak ones. What do you have left after 35 years? Smart, mean drug dealers. Every time we arrest one, the herd - if you will - gets better." Howard Wooldredge, retired policeman and member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

"If we ended drug prohibition people would not have to die from overdosing on unregulated drugs; be shot in the streets by drug dealers protecting their turf; shot in their houses by police executing search warrants, as well as home owners, when they assault the wrong houses; or incinerated in the World Trade Center by terrorists who made their money selling drugs.

If we legalized drugs today, no terrorist in the world would make a penny on drugs sales tomorrow. " Jack Cole, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

[MiamiRob]

this is somewhat of a race issue since most crack users are black & most "powder" cocaine users are white. How many snorting white yuppies who did coke are languishing in prison? In the 80s Miami started the "drug" court which sentenced addicts to detox & rehab instead of locking them up which costs a hell of a lot more. I know some cities adopted the concept and of course very violent offenders are a whole other issue unto itself.

[fishmonger]

Simply do something about crack by legalizing and regulating it. A lot of cops would agree with me on that because they have seen the terrible horrors done to people who are closely involved in the underground drug market and are sick and tired of it. Cops know it doesn't do much good to arrest a crack pusher because as soon as they arrest one there's always yet another one who's been waiting in line to take his place.

It would have to be HEAVILY regulated for that to work, or it would be a nightmare, I think. ^^^^^ What regulations would you recommend? A maximum potency limit, maybe? Or only allowing use in designated, secure areas?

[ParkerP]

Originally Posted by Nirvana-Guy

Is American going to become a "crackhead nation"???

Nah, its quickly becoming a methhead nation. Have you seen the PSAs?