Race, Class,

1
Race, Class, Crack Sentencing (Cont.)Study
questions

• According to the ACLUs Cracks in the system
  report, why is 1001 crack-powder sentencing
  disparity arbitrarily imposed and what have the
  consequences of this been in the last 20 years?
• Mandatory minimums
• Consequences
• Family structure
• Voting Rights
• Employment opportunities
• Social services

2
Race, Class, Crack Sentencing (Cont.)Study
questions

• According to the ACLUs Cracks in the system
  report, how have many of the assumptions used in
  justifying the 1001 ratio been proved wrong by
  empirical data?
• Harm
• Prenatal exposure
• High-level drug trafficking
• Dangerous conduct

3
Race, Class, Crack Sentencing (Cont.)Study
questions

• According to the ACLUs Cracks in the system
  report, what can be done to change current
  policy?
• Federal and State Equalization
• High-level traffickers
• Judicial discretion

4
Race, Class, Crack Sentencing (Cont.)Other
Study Questions from Cracks in the System

• What are the myths associated with Crack cocaine?
• What has been Congresss response to the
  Sentencing Commission Reports of 1995 and 2002?

5
Race, Drug Sentencing, and the LawStudy
Questions

• According to David Cole, how are criminal
  defendants who make selective drug prosecution
  based on race claims caught in a catch-22a? Why
  was this important in the case of Christopher Lee
  Armstrong?
• Of discovery and dismissal

6
Case Study in Unintended Consequences New
Yorks Rockefeller Drug Laws

• The Kingpin Loophole and the use of Mules
• Lifetime probation provision
• 80 first time felons

7
Discussion QuestionWhy are the unintended
consequences of New Yorks Rockefeller Drug Laws
relevant for understanding what happened to
Elaine Bartlett in Life on the Outside?

• OTHER BIG QUESTIONS
• How does the book Life on the Outside demonstrate
  the hidden consequences of our nation's
  punishment policies on Elaine Bartlett and her
  family?
• Do you believe that alternative programs such as
  community or drug court may have benefited Elaine
  and/or members of her family?