The very term Rockefeller Drug Laws has practically become a euphemism for unfair, racially biased mandatory prison sentences and drug-war related mass incarceration.
In 1973, two years after President Nixon declared a "war on drugs," New York Governor Rockefeller passed the toughest drug laws in the nation, demanding mandatory sentences for drug law violations, while removing the judge's power to consider each case individually.
For 42 years, we have waged war against our own people that we have disguised as the "War on Drugs." All of this can be challenged and changed. Yet it is with a renewed sense of urgency that we must speak out and build an effective movement.
I had delivered four ounces of cocaine for $500 straight into the hands of undercover narcotic officers in Westchester County. It was the biggest mistake I ever made.
Possession of marijuana is the leading arrest in New York City today -- but it's not supposed to be this way. In 1977, New York State removed criminal penalties for private possession of marijuana, and made possession in public view a misdemeanor.
This is a new America. An America that believes that drug addiction is a disease and not a crime. We will no longer subject ourselves to the old ways of destruction. We will fight for a fair justice system that uplifts our people from the drug war devastation of the past 39 years.
To be sentenced under unjust laws to a tremendous amount of time is unconscionable. I know because it happened to me. Now I am asking Governor Cuomo to show compassion.
As the 2012 Presidential campaign heads into high gear, we must engage eligible non-voters who are young, uneducated and economically deprived.
While the "Ivy League" bust generated a wave of media for Bridget Brennan and Ray Kelly, the reality is that the headline-seeking bust has blown up in their faces with the arrest of Detective Palase.
There are heroes and then there are heroes. My good friend Judge Jerry Marks, a former New York Supreme Court Justice, was a hero's hero.
Will DA Rice pursue justice for dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who may be wrongfully incarcerated? Can Nassau County afford retrials?
Thirty five years after originally reading the book, I have realized that E.B. White was not only a great writer, but a visionary and activist as well.
While the "Ivy League" bust is generating a wave of press and the prosecutor is loving her 15 minutes of fame on national TV, the reality is that these busts are all hype and PR.
For those like the Scott sisters who have fallen through the cracks of the cruel criminal justice system, their only hope to regain their freedom is through public pressure on elected officials.
There's a change occurring in American politics: Candidates are being more open about past drug use -- and not just marijuana.
The New York State Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would correct a long-standing distortion of democracy: the inclusion of prisoners in the population counts of state and local districts.
In this time of economic crisis in New York State, when politicians are looking for solutions to reduce the budget deficit, they need look no further than the state's correctional system.
Before he leaves office the governor needs to clean up New York's incarceration system and shut down its near-empty prisons.
2009 will go down as the beginning of the end of the United States drug war. There was more debate and movement toward sensible drug policies this year than in the last nine years combined.
A mass, collective pardon of nonviolent offenders would reunite hundreds of thousands of families, save billions of dollars in incarceration costs, and might foster a national spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Having felt the sting of the Rockefeller laws firsthand -- serving 12 years under a 15-years-to-life sentence -- I understand the full meaning of the reforms that went into effect today.
Stop the presses! Political comedian-turned-activist-turned-candidate for Senate Randy Credico has resigned his position at the Kunstler Fund to devote himself full-time to defeating Schumer.
The dismantling of the Rockefeller Drug Laws is picking up steam. The New York State Assembly held a key hearing to press forward with implementation of the reforms.
For all the (fair) criticism of Albany's dysfunction, our state government did get something right this year. The drug law reforms go into effect today.
For as long as I can remember, the conventional political wisdom had been that elected officials, especially Democrats, can't touch drug policy reform with a ten foot pole.
