Fair Sentencing Act Reduces — But Does Not Eliminate — Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity

President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act, reducing the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine (associated with Black defendants) and powder cocaine (associated with white defendants) from 100:1 to 18:1. Civil rights groups had sought full parity; the compromise was seen as partial progress. The Act was retroactively applied through the First Step Act of 2018.