1986
Washington, DC, DC · On map
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 established mandatory minimum sentences of 5 years for possessing 5 grams of crack cocaine, compared to 10 years for 500 grams of powder cocaine. This 100:1 sentencing ratio disproportionately punished Black Americans, who were more likely to use crack due to lower cost. The law fueled massive increases in Black incarceration rates without evidence of greater harm from crack versus powder cocaine.
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