Tell Biden: Free Victims of the Drug War

Of the nearly 2 million people currently incarcerated in the U.S., 1 in 5 is locked up for a drug offense. This includes thousands of people with federal marijuana offenses and thousands more serving long federal mandatory minimum sentences due to the unfair 18:1 crack-powder cocaine sentencing disparity.

President Biden has taken some important steps on clemency. But we must push him to do even more before he leaves office. Tell him to use his clemency power to give victims of the drug war a second chance.

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Dear President Biden,

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Of the nearly 2 million people currently incarcerated in the U.S., 1 in 5 is locked up for a drug offense. Incarcerating people for drug offenses is harmful and blocks them from support. It can have lifelong consequences that get in the way of finding a job, education, or a place to live. We need to prioritize supporting people, not incarcerating them. I urge you to undo some of these harms by using your clemency power to commute sentences, pardon convictions, and release people incarcerated for federal drug offenses and bring them home for the holidays.

I appreciate all you’ve done so far on clemencies including the commutations and pardons you announced on December 12, and the step you took in 2022 by pardoning everyone who had simple federal marijuana possession charges. But there are still thousands of people unfairly locked up for marijuana offenses. And due to racist targeted enforcement, they are disproportionately from Black and Brown communities.

There are also thousands of people serving severe federal mandatory minimum sentences due to the 18:1 crack-powder sentencing disparity even though the only difference between the drugs is baking soda. This profoundly unfair disparity between crack and powder cocaine is about racism, not science. Although drug use is similar across racial lines, Black and Brown people make up the majority of those who are convicted of a drug offense carrying a mandatory minimum.

Many of the people locked up for federal drug charges like these have been behind bars for decades. And they would not be given such harsh punishment if they had been convicted today. At the very least, they deserve a second chance. You have said you are committed to racial justice and equity time and time again. Please do the right thing and deliver on that promise by granting clemency to victims of the drug war today.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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