Race and the Law: Mass Incarceration

The federal government was relatively quiet on drug issues in the 1950s and 1960s, but in the early 1970s President Nixon declared a "war on drugs." Most presidents after Nixon continued to wage some form of that war. The high point of this period of legislative reform on national drug policy was the 1980s, and the most important set of statutes on the drug problem during that period was the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-570, 100 Stat. 3207).

The Commission’s study finds that the FSA
reduced the disparity between crack and
powder cocaine sentences, reduced the federal
prison population, and appears to have
resulted in fewer federal prosecutions for
crack cocaine. All this occurred while crack
cocaine use continued to decline.

argues the system harms not only those who have been incarcerated (e.g., resulting in higher unemployment rates) but all Americans. The economy would be stronger, growth higher and wealth larger if these Americans were employed and paying taxes.

discusses federal drug policy, equal protection, disparities, sentencing

discusses sentencing reform, mass incarceration, racial disparity, restitution

The federal government was relatively quiet on drug issues in the 1950s and 1960s, but in the early 1970s President Nixon declared a "war on drugs." Most presidents after Nixon continued to wage some form of that war. The high point of this period of legislative reform on national drug policy was the 1980s, and the most important set of statutes on the drug problem during that period was the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-570, 100 Stat. 3207).