For 35 years, Black people have faced longer prison sentences for crack cocaine offenses because federal law imposes harsher penalties for crack offenses than for powder cocaine.
Close to 9,000 people are incarcerated for crack cocaine and 1,500 new sentences are issued to people every year. This unjust framework – as well as other federal laws requiring excessively long prison sentences – has devastated communities of color.
It’s time we finally put an end to these unfair laws. The First Step Implementation Act (FSIA) and EQUAL Act are two critical bills that will reduce mandatory minimums for crack and other offenses and make those reductions retroactive – so people sentenced before laws changed aren’t left with outdated, excessive prison sentences.
These common-sense bills both have strong bipartisan support, and it’s crucial that the Senate moves them forward: Tell your senators to pass FSIA and EQUAL Act now.
