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NY Times editorial calling for Rockefeller drug law reforms

By Douglas A. Berman

Today's New York Times has this editorial calling for drug sentencing reform in its home state.  Here are highlights:Enacted in 1973, New York?s Rockefeller drug laws penalized some first-time drug offenders more severely than murderers. Named for Nelson Rockefeller, who was governor at the time, the laws tied the hands of judges and mandated lengthy sentences for young offenders who often deserved a second chance. The laws, which were supposed to ensnare ?kingpins,? have filled the prisons with drug addicts who would have been better dealt with through treatment programs. They also undermined faith in the fairness of the justice system by singling out poor and minority offenders while exempting wealthy ones. New York has made incremental changes in laws in recent years but has failed to restore judicial discretion...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on May 27, 2008 (boomark / email).