Race

On May 15, the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) updated its 2002 Report to Congress on Federal Cocaine Sentencing. The USSC report once again finds that there is no rationale for the sentencing differences between the two forms of the drug. Under current law, possessing or selling 5 grams of crack cocaine results in the same five-year mandatory minimum sentence as selling 500 grams of powder cocaine. The law harshly punishes low-level offenders, and has had a disparate impact on African-American and low-income communities. Join us in a frank discussion on avenues for reform of this unjust law.

This year, the theme is "Substance Abuse among Vulnerable Populations: Enhancing Treatment, Eliminating Disparities, and Promoting Justice." The summit will focus on health and criminal justice issues among vulnerable populations within the African American community. Special workshops will focus on adolescents, women, and the reentry population. The summit will convene key leaders from our member organizations and other experts that span across a variety of disciplines.

Release’s annual conference this year takes the important step of focusing the industry on the complex and damaging practice of routine prejudice in health services.