U.S. Sentencing Commission Recommends Equalizing Crack-Powder Cocaine Penalties

The U.S. Sentencing Commission unanimously recommended eliminating the 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, finding it racially discriminatory since 84% of federal crack defendants were Black while powder cocaine defendants were predominantly white. Congress rejected the recommendation — the only time in history it overrode a Sentencing Commission guideline amendment — and President Clinton signed the rejection into law.