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Race and Crack Cocaine
Crack vs. Powdered Cocaine
z Defining
z Myth
Crack vs. Powdered Cocaine
“Crack is Cheaper”
– Marketing Innovation
z Pharmacology
of Crack, Bingeing, and
High Sales
z Demonizing Crack and Stiff Federal
Penalties
source:http://www.hbo.com/thewire/img/episodeguide/season04/ep39_05.jpg
Federal Sentences for Crack and
Racial Discrimination
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Federal Prison Sentences for
Crack vs. Powdered Cocaine
Growth in Federal Prisons during
War on Drugs
% of Federal Prisoners for Drug Offenses
70%
60%
year
50%
40%
%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1980
1985
1990
1995
1999
2000
2003
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2006
% of prisoners
5 year mandatory minimum sentences
z 5 grams of crack (10-50 doses) = 5 year mandatory
minimum sentence
z 500 grams of powdered cocaine (2,500-5,000 doses) =
5 year mandatory minimum sentence
10 year mandatory minimum sentences
z 50 grams of crack (100-5000 doses) = 10 year
mandatory minimum sentence
z 5,000 grams of powdered cocaine (25,000-50,000
doses) = 10 year mandatory minimum sentence
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Average Drug Quantities in Federal
Cocaine Cases
Longer Crack Sentences
Average crack case triggers a 10 year mandatory
minimum while the average powdered cocaine case does
not even trigger the 5 year sentence [the lowest
mandatory minimum sentence in federal drug sentencing
guidelines.
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Racial Impact of Crack
Sentences
Targeting “High Level” Dealers?
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“It’s The Economy Stupid”
Duster Explains Why
z Manufacturing
z Economic
Changes in Inner City
z Police focus on Street Level Drug Sales
z Service
Economy “Fit”
z Hawaii example
z Many blacks turned to illicit economy and street
level drug sales
z All adds up to blacks being “targeted” by 100:1
crack sentences
– Obvious practical reasons (not a simple
“conspiracy”
z Harsher
to Service Economy
Communities
z Tax Base in Local
– The vicious cycle
Penalties for Crack
– Which tends to be dealt “on the street” in Inner
City by blacks
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