South Carolina Federal Defense Attorneys A reduction in federal prison sentences for crack cocaine took effect on November first in a move that could release an estimated 12,000 inmates get reearly. The changes reduce federal penalties for the more addictive crack cocaine to bring them more in line with those for powdered cocaine. The sentencing disparity had long been criticized as racially discriminatory because it disproportionately affected African American defendants. Chris Burke, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said, "Up … [Read more...]