Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 10:20:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: Matthew Belmonte <belmonte@cns.nyu.edu>
Message-Id: <199807181420.KAA25515@ts.cns.nyu.edu>
To: nita.lowey@mail.house.gov
Subject: yes on H.R. 2031

Rep. Charles Ranger (D-NY) has introduced H.R. 2031, the
"Crack-Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act of 1997," to
eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and
powder cocaine offenses.  Because of the current disparity,
disproportionately many young African-Americans end up serving
long prison terms for minor crimes.  While it takes 500 grams
of powder cocaine to trigger a five-year mandatory minimum
sentence, the threshold for crack cocaine is only five grams.
Mandatory sentencing has failed to have an impact on crime, and
the current inequalities should be removed.  HR 2031 will help
to accomplish that, and I urge you to support it and to consider
becoming a co-sponsor.