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Hundreds of crack cocaine offenders could be released from prison

Hundreds of crack cocaine offenders could be released from prison - Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 6:09PM EST

Thursday, Nov 15, 2007 @06:09pm EST

Could hundreds of convicted crack cocaine dealers be let out of jail, and back into our neighborhoods?

The U.S. Sentencing Commission made the decision to lighten crack offender sentences in May.

But this month, it's deciding whether or not to use the new sentencing guidelines on current prisoners.

20 thousand prisoners would have their sentences cut by an average of two years.

That's nationwide.

Here in our area, 385 crack cocaine offenders would be eligible for appeal.

The U.S. Commission of Sentencing is deciding whether or not to release some crack cocaine offenders from prison.

In May, average crack possesion sentences were reduced by nearly 2 years.

That could knock prison time off current convicted crack dealers and users.

In an email to WBRE-TV, the department of justice says...

"we believe this would be a mistake, having a serious impact on the safety of our communities and imposing an unreasonable burden upon our judicial system."

Others say drug treatment would suffer.

Carmen Ambrosino of the Wyoming Valley alcohol & drug services says, "when you look at thousands of people coming out of jail prematurely for drug violations, they need to be plugged into treatment progams"

Carmen Ambrosino is the executive director for Wyoming Valley alcohol and drug services.

He says there's a shortfall in drug treatment funding

An influx of crack dealers and addicts would be difficult.

"where would we place them, how would we treat them. These are unfunded mandates. They're never thought through. They never include input from the chemical dependency community"

but the commission says current crack sentencing was based under false assumptions....

Like crack dealing and using being specifically linked to violent behavior.

It says 3 quarters of crack offenders had no personal weapon involvement."

But for now, neighborhoods where crack offenders once stayed, will wait to see if they'll be returning early.

The Comission held a public hearing on this issue this week in Washington D.C.

No vote was taken to apply the new sentencing guidelines to current prisoners

The American bar association says courts will be overflowed with crack cocaine offenders appealing their cases under these new guidelines.

But it says it will create fair guidelines for the future.
 


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