Anti Drug Abuse Act Of 1986 - 3027 Words

In 2010, the Obama Administration passed into law The Fair Sentencing Act, which directly targeted the harshly different punishments for people caught in possession of crack versus people caught in possession of cocaine and effectively overruled the punishments of each drug outlined in the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. Immediately, there was discussion regarding the purpose and effectiveness of this act versus the 1986 act. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, although it was eagerly pursued and supported by black communities, has ultimately been accused of being indirectly, or purposefully, discriminatory towards African Americans. This law established shockingly different punishments for users of crack versus users of cocaine. As is commonly known and has been proven statistically, African Americans are more likely to consume crack than cocaine and are more likely to consume crack than any other race would. For decades since the 1986 Act, those prosecuted for possession of crack cocaine were given harsher punishments than those who were caught with cocaine. Despite minimal differences between the effectiveness and formulation of either drug, crack cocaine was prosecuted at a 100:1 ratio to cocaine. Many questioned why the gap existed, but ultimately the reasoning lied with who was consuming either drug. Crack cocaine was popular in extremely urban areas, prone to house more minorities than suburban areas. Cocaine, however, was typically a more â€Å"elitist† drug consumed andShow MoreRelatedAnti Drug Abuse Act Of 19861591 Words   |  7 PagesOn June 17th 1971, President Richard Nixon stood in front of congress and announced his widely criticized War on Drugs. The President claimed that drugs were the â€Å"Public Enemy Number One† among Americans. Fast-forward to 1986, Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. This act placed mandatory minimum sentences on minor d rug infractions. The war on drugs not only incarcerated a very high number of Blacks, but also tore families apart in an effort to clean up neighborhoods which still affectRead MoreClassical Perspective And Mandatory Sentencing Act837 Words   |  4 PagesPerspective and Mandatory Sentencing Act The classical perspective founded by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham; stated that at people choose to commit crime after they considered the pros and cons that could be associated with a crime, and believed that the pros outweighed the cons (Tonry,2014). The theory relied on deterring criminal acts by assuring that the consequences of crime are absolute, harsh, and quickly administered (Tonry,2014). Mandatory Sentencing Act Today, more than 2 million AmericansRead MorePunishment Of A Crime And Criminal Justice System994 Words   |  4 Pagesbe able to come back into society fully understanding the moral codes and regulations placed to be a successful member of society. In American we seem to allow worse punishment to develop through time in order to put more fear into the culture to act accordingly or get punished. When sanctions are placed they show how that society runs and its moral understanding of those who break the law. Sanctions were created for punishment of a crime however they serve as a small place of protection againstRead MoreThe American War On Drugs1598 Words   |  7 Pages The American â€Å"War on Drugs† war created to keep an exorbitant amount of people behind bars, and in a subservient status. First, America has a storied history when it comes to marijuana use. However, within the last 50 years legislation pertaining to drug use and punishment has increased significantly. In the modern era, especially hard times have hit minority communities thanks to these drug laws. While being unfairly targeted by drug laws and law enforcement, minorities in America are havingRead MoreJim Crow Finds Its Roots In The Old Jingl e Mocking Black1373 Words   |  6 Pagesfor many crimes it had previously enacted minimums for in the 1950s. Could this be a change in the American attitude towards predominantly black drug offenders? Unfortunately not. In 1986, President Reagan signed into law the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. The act implemented a framework for reworking minimum mandatory sentences for drug trafficking and drug possession. Most notable, however, was the distinction between the use of cocaine and crack cocaine between different classes of people. The minimumRead More War on Drugs is War on Democracy Essay1286 Words   |  6 Pagessystem treating marijuana offenders worse than violent criminals. I doubt, however, that many Americans are truly conscious of how some peoples lives have been shattered because of current practices in the so-called drug war. Now, about 15 years since its beginning, the war on drugs has become a war on personal freedom and toes the line of authoritarianism. On the brink of the 21st century, this is not a good sign for preserving our future, nor that of democracy. In 1989, a small business ownerRead MoreNew Jim Crow Who Shined A Light On Mass Incarceration863 Words   |  4 Pagesis the War on Drugs was purposely started to mass incarcerate African Americans. With the new Drug War, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 was passed. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act punished crack cocaine a hundred times harder than powder cocaine. Crack and powder cocaine are the same drug, however different effects on the human body. According to the US Department of Justice, crake cocaine has a more psychological effect than powder, which leads to more people becoming addicted to the drug and heavier usageRead MoreThe War On Drugs And Its Effects On The United States817 Words   |  4 PagesWar on Drugs had its official start during the Nixon administration when the president declared that drug abuse was now â€Å"public enemy number one.† Since then, over one trillion dollars have been spent on various programs to combat drug abuse. Ultimately, however, the War o n Drugs did not limit national daily drug use. Instead, the War on Drugs had a greater impact on the United States’ justice, education, and healthcare systems than it did to limit citizen drug use. The War on Drugs has hadRead MoreThe Legacy of Ronald Reagan1004 Words   |  5 PagesIran-Contra Affair, which will forever be tied to his name in a negative regard. Within America, Reagan was able to improve society such as his success in curbing the use of illegal drugs. Ronald Reagan is often times cited as the best president the United States has ever had, due to his relentless attacks on communism and illegal drug use in America, even with his involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair. Ronald Reagan was tremendously successful in his pursuit to end communism around the world, and toRead MoreThe Drug Of Drug Abuse1143 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica has been fighting drug abuse for over a century. Four Presidents have waged a â€Å"War on Drugs† and unfortunately, this war continues to be lost at an alarming magnitude. Drug abusers continue to fill our courts, hospitals, and prisons. The drug trade causes violent crime that ravages our neighborhoods. Children of drug abusers are neglected, abused, and even abandoned. The current methods of dealing with this issue are not working. Our society needs to implement new and effective laws and programs