October 16, 2009
October marks the 23rd anniversary of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 that created harsher penalties for crack cocaine than for powder cocaine. To commemorate the anniversary and raise awareness of the need to end the sentencing disparity, FAMM and members of the Crack the Disparity Coalition hosted two legislative briefings, for Senate and House staff on October 13.
Speakers spanning the political and ideological spectrum joined voices in a call for change. Speakers included: Chris Byrnes, attorney and author; Lisa Rich, director of legislative affairs, United States Sentencing Commission; Pat Nolan, vice president, Prison Fellowship; and Paul Butler, former prosecutor and professor at George Washington Law School. Also speaking was Lawrence Garrison, the son of FAMM office manager Karen Garrison, who was released from prison in 2009 after serving 10 years on a crack cocaine charge.
Follow the link to watch the Senate briefing on C-Span: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/213840