For Mandatory Minimum Repeal
For Immediate Release
November 19, 2009
Contact: media@famm.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) praises Rhode Island lawmakers for their persistence in fighting for and winning the repeal of mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.
Deborah Fleischaker, FAMM’s director of state legislative affairs, made the following statement in reaction to the news:
“Rhode Island lawmakers proved that political courage and smart policy are not mutually exclusive. Lawmakers around the country, including those in Rhode Island, are recognizing that mandatory minimum practices are ineffective, waste taxpayer dollars, lead to excessive prison terms and strip individualization from sentencing decisions. FAMM commends Rhode Island lawmakers for repealing mandatory minimum drug laws.”
S039, sponsored by Sen. Harold Metts and H5007, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Almeida, eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses and abolish minimum fines of $10,000 for smaller quantities and $25,000 for larger amounts.
Before the change, Rhode Island’s controlled substances laws imposed mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years for individuals convicted of possession, sale, or manufacture of one to five kilograms of marijuana or one ounce to one kilogram of cocaine or heroin. A 20-year mandatory minimum sentence was required for individuals convicted of possession, sale, or manufacture of more than five kilograms of marijuana or more than one kilogram of cocaine or heroin.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to ensure that the punishment fits the crime. In 2007 and 2008, FAMM worked with DARE (Direct Action for Rights and Equality), a Rhode Island-based advocacy organization, and other groups in support of mandatory minimum sentencing reforms.
For more information on FAMM, visit www.famm.org.
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