At a press conference held this morning in the Rayburn House Office building, the leaders were joined by advocacy organizations and individuals and family members directly impacted by the laws that have caused an unwarranted racial disparity in the nation's prisons.

“I'm human and I made a mistake. It didn't take me 15 years” to realize a mistake was made, said Michael Short, who was released earlier this month after receiving a commutation from President George W. Bush. At age 21, Short was sentenced to 19 years for selling 63 grams of crack valued at $2500 in 1992. He served 15 years before being released. He said he deserved to go to prison but not for 19 years. “I'm human. I have been affected by this. I have feelings.”

Wearing red and white “CRACK THE DISPARITY” buttons, leaders and other attendees seemed hopeful and anxious to hear support from participating legislators including Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and a representative of Sen. Joseph Biden (D-CT), Nancy Libin. Each of the representatives have introduced or co-sponsored crack cocaine sentencing reform legislation including the Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2008 and the Drug Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007.

“We have allowed this crack cocaine disparity to just sit along the wayside,” Congresswoman Jackson Lee said to the crowd of community leaders before the press conference began. “It is a shame [this issue] has fallen upon deaf ears. My bill is simple. It characterizes the issue of fairness in all.”

Also in attendance was Kemba Smith, who at age 24 and seven months pregnant, was sentenced in 1994 to 24.5 years for conspiracy to participate in her boyfriend's drug activities in 1994. She was ultimately granted executive clemency in 2000 by President Bill Clinton after having served six years in prison. She said even though she is a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen, as a formerly incarcerated resident of Virginia, she is banned from voting. She also said even though she's no longer incarcerated she must continue to fight for all the women who still are.

“It's important to me to be that human face,” she said. “It's still important for us to continue pushing the issue” for those serving 20-year or life sentences.

Following the press conference, the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held its “Hearing on Cracked Justice – Addressing the Unfairness in Cocaine Sentencing.” Two panels testified including: Hon. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY); Hon. Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX); Hon. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD); Hon. Reggie B. Walton Judge, United States District Court for the Dist rict of Columbia; The Honorable Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Chairman United States Sentencing Commission; Gretchen Shappert, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina; Joseph I. Cassilly, State's Attorney for Harford County and President-Elect of the National District Attorneys Association; and Michael Nachmanoff, Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Saffold and 50 other community leaders from around the country will attend today's hearing before the House Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security and urge their representatives in Congress to push through crack cocaine sentencing reform this year.

The Subcommittee will review several bills introduced in the House that reduce the harsh penalties for low-level crack cocaine offenses and eliminate the 100-to-1 quantity based sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.

“Advocates of sentencing fairness are excited that Congress is considering reform,” said Marc Mauer, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project. “Far too many people have been victimized by an unjust sentencing system for 20 years now. The time is long past for Congress to fix this sentencing disparity.”

Under current federal law, possessing just 5 grams of crack cocaine (10 to 50 doses) results in the same five year mandatory minimum prison sentence as selling 500 grams of powder cocaine (2,500 to 5,000 doses). Federal drug sentencing laws were intended to punish major traffickers but the small quantities that trigger mandatory minimum sentences for crack cocaine have primarily entangled street-level sellers, lookouts and couriers. More than 60% of federal crack cocaine defendants have only low-level involvement in drug activity.

Lobby Day participants want Congress to eliminate these harsh mandatory sentences and help reduce the unwarranted racial disparity that the penalties have created. More than 80% of the defendants sentenced for federal crack cocaine offenses are African American, despite the fact that two-thirds of crack users are white or Hispanic. Meanwhile, only 27% of defendants convicted of powder cocaine offenses are African American.

A press conference will also be held Tuesday, February 26, at 10:00 A.M. in Room B381 of the Rayburn House Office Building where people impacted by the crack cocaine sentencing law will speak about the harm caused by the harsh mandatory minimums for crack cocaine and why Congress should advance reform.

The “Hearing on Cracked Justice – Addressing the Unfairness in Cocaine Sentencing” before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will be at 2:00 P.M. in Room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

The “Crack the Disparity” Lobby Day is sponsored by: American Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, Break the Chains, Drug Policy Alliance, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Open Society Policy Center, The Sentencing Project and United Methodist Church.

VIEW HEARING FLIER