1986
Legislation / criminal punishmentSupplement
Crack–powder cocaine sentencing disparity
United States; disproportionately Black federal crack defendants
Federal law established much lower drug-quantity thresholds for crack cocaine than powder cocaine to trigger the same mandatory minimum penalties. The 100-to-1 structure produced large racial disparities in federal punishment.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
Racially unequal impact and the statutory drug distinction should be described precisely, rather than treating the statute as explicitly naming a race.