Drug Policy: The ACLU Drug Law
Reform Project
is a division of the national ACLU. Our goal is to end punitive drug policies
that cause the widespread violation of constitutional and human rights, as well
as unprecedented levels of incarceration.
A coalition of criminal justice advocacy organizations has launched "It's Not Fair. It's Not Working," an ad campaign and national effort to reform the federal sentencing disparity ratio between crack and powder cocaine. The current 100-to-1 ratio results in excessive mandatory minimum sentences for first-time possession of small amounts of crack cocaine.
The ad "It's Not Fair" features Karen Garrison, mother of twin
sons who received 15- and 19-year sentences for a non-violent crack cocaine offense just months
after they graduated from college. According to Jasmine Tyler of the
Drug Policy Alliance, “Karen Garrison is like mothers all
over the country who want success for their children. Instead she will
be making visits to federal prisons for years."
