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Sentencing Relaxed for Crack Cocaine Offenders

The U.S. Sentencing Commission voted Tuesday to retroactively reduce sentences for crack cocaine offenders. As many as 19,500 prison inmates could be affected by the new guidelines. In the past, crack cocaine offenders were typically sentenced to 50 percent more jail time than powder cocaine offenders.

Guests:

Rodney White, served 15 years for distributing crack cocaine

Douglas Berman, professor at the Morritz College of Law at Ohio State University

John R. Steer, commissioner and vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission

Gretchen Shappert, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina

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