Sentencing / Post Conviction
Thousands of Imprisoned Crack Cocaine Offenders Could Be Released Early Under New Sentencing Law
Federal prisoners serving crack cocaine-related sentences will be eligible for early release as a result of a U.S. Sentencing Commission decision today, the Associated Press reports.
Last year, Congress passed a law that significantly lowered recommended sentences for people convicted of crack cocaine crimes to fix disparity between sentences for crack and powder cocaine. The new law didn’t apply to sentences for people already in prison, but today the six-member Sentencing Commission voted that it should.
Approximately 12,000 federal prisoners will be affected, the AP reports. The crimes range from possession to trafficking.
