Oct 09 2015
Long Before Eric Holder, A Judge Called Out Drug Sentencing Disparities As Racist
GUEST: Judge Pamela Alexander, District Court Judge, Fourth Judicial District, Minnesota. Decades ago she attempted to point out that the different sentencing guidelines for powder cocaine and crack cocaine resulted in blacks serving longer sentences than whites.
*This segment was broadcast online only on Sept. 25, 2015.
Women are increasingly criminalized in our system of mass incarceration. In fact, while the vast majority of US prison inmates are men, the rate of women’s incarceration is increasing twice as fast as men’s incarceration. A large percentage of the women who are incarcerated, particularly black and brown women, are charged and convicted of drug related charges and serving lengthy prison terms.
For years it was known that drug sentencing disparities based on race have existed and served to impact communities of color disproportionately. Whites were sentenced to far shorter terms than blacks. It wasn’t until former Attorney General Eric Holder took action on those disparities that the nation has finally begun to deal with one aspect of racism in our justice system.
But my guest began raising the issue many years ago.
3 Responses to “Long Before Eric Holder, A Judge Called Out Drug Sentencing Disparities As Racist”
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