Race and Justice to Get Action by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cuyahoga Prosecutor Bill Mason
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Regina Brett
10/24/2008
Jackson, Mason, and Cleveland City Council’s Public Safety Committee to take serious look at racial injustice in drug sentencing.
None of us can continue to remain blind to the racial disparities in the way felony drug cases are handled from our streets to our courtrooms.
No more claiming the discrepancies are merely anecdotal in nature. We have proof.
In Cuyahoga County, white people are more likely to have their felony drug charges reduced to misdemeanors – or to get treatment as an alternative to any conviction – than black people charged with the same crime. Black people are 12 times more likely to go to prison on drug charges than a white person.
The NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, Citizens for a Safe and Fair Cleveland and the United Pastors in Mission want action.
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has met with the police chief and safety director. He is expected to announce a policy decision about the matter any day.
Councilman Kevin Conwell told me that his Public Safety Committee would hold a hearing about it on Nov. 19 at 9:30 a.m. in council’s committee Room 217.