Earlier in the week, Julie Stewart, from the Families Against Mandatory Minimums, urged members of Congress and the President to pass a new law making the changes to crack cocaine sentencing retroactively applicable to federal prisoners. Courtesy of the Huffington Post, Ms. Stewart pleaded for new legislation, stating that:
The old policy required dramatically more severe penalties for crimes involving crack cocaine than for offenses involving powder cocaine. The president and Congress deserve credit for working together to lower crack penalties. Yet, in a cruel irony, they failed to provide any relief to the very prisoners whose unnecessarily harsh sentences they had pointed to as the impetus for reform. As our nation celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., we implore the president and new Congress to listen to their consciences, do what is right, and apply the reformed crack penalties retroactively to all offenders.
Last year, Representative Robert Scott introduced the Fair Sentencing Clarification Act of 2010, which would have made the changes wrought to crack cocaine sentencing applicable to all offenders whose cases how long been final. The Bill died with the end of 111th Congress and has yet to be reintroduced.
On Thursday, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania prisoner, Daniel Goodson again the popular Kardashian sisters. Mr. Goodson’s complaint alleged that Kardashian’s antics on the Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami show caused him emotional distress and psychological strain. He requested damages and a personalized apology. In denying the suit against the Kardashians, the court noted that Goodson’s request for an apology (“D.J., we are sorry for emotionally stressing you out & we love you!”) “suggests that this action is, at bottom, not a serious one.” To read the opinion click here. To read the article about the case click here.
In other prisoner news, Brendan Koerner at Microkahn, writes about the new prison economy now that cigarettes, the universal prison commodity, have been removed from the nation’s prisons. Koerner notes the shift in prison currency from cigarettes to tinned mackerel and likens it to “America’s changeover from the gold standard.”
And TampaBay.com reports about a different prison currency: honey buns. In a Florida state-run prison, the inmates trade honey buns purchased from the prison commissary.