Pubdate: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA) Copyright: 2014 Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact: http://newsreview.com/sacto/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540 Author: David Urman Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n561/a05.html CRACK IN ARTICLE? Re "Crack (law) is wack" by Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R News, July 3): Raheem F. Hosseini's article on reforms proposing to end the disparity in sentencing laws for crack cocaine, as opposed to cocaine in powder form, is interesting reading. Yet in some respects, the article's claims seem questionable, based on the information provided within the article itself. With respect to mandatory-minimum sentences for possession with intent to sell, the article cites three to five years for crack, vs. two to four years for powder. These are the only figures given comparing prison terms for crack vs. powder, and they do show a disparity, but hardly the "exponentially longer prison terms" claimed earlier on. Hosseini is a good reporter who has contributed many intelligent, perceptive, well-written articles to SN&R. This one could perhaps have been thought out a bit more clearly. David Urman Sacramento - --- MAP posted-by: Matt