One Small Step

Sunday 30 May 2010 - Filed under Government + War on Drugs

Though it certainly shouldn’t be taken as an indication that the war on drugs will be coming to a close, this new memo from Attorney General Holder is a step in the right direction.  Mike Scarcella via The National Law Journal:

Sentencing Commission Vice Chairman William Carr Jr. said the Holder memo “clearly” gives more flexibility to Assistant U.S. Attorneys. In particular, Carr, a former federal prosecutor in Pennsylvania who retired in 2004, said the new guidance suggests there will be more flexibility to not argue for mandatory-minimum sentences.

The thrust of Yates’ remarks on Thursday centered on the department’s ongoing review of sentencing and correction policy — Holder created a working group last spring — and the need to address growing disparity in sentencing and excesses in mandatory-minimum sentencing.

The Justice Department, she said, supports a “limited and judicious use” of mandatory sentencing. The vast majority of mandatory minimums — there are 170 federal crimes that carry them — are applied in drug and firearms cases. (Emphasis mine)

Though a reasonably recent addition to the arsenal of drug warriors, mandatory minimum sentencing structures are among the most contentious aspect of the drug war, introducing disparate sentences for even the most minor of drug crimes.  We have a VERY long way to go, but using mandatory minumums as a strategy to tackle only the most warranted cases is a welcome step.

2010-05-30  »  madlibertarianguy