Feature
Story:
Now That He's
Released, Lawrence Garrison's
First Priority
is Reform
By Zerline Hughes
Lawrence
Garrison is home.
After spending
more than 10 years of a 15-year crack cocaine
sentence, Garrison is rebuilding his life in his
hometown of Washington, DC. Despite being
released from prison a few years early as a
result of the United States Sentencing
Commission's retroactive guideline amendment
implemented last year, Garrison isn't yet at
peace. His twin brother, Lamont, is still
incarcerated - and has about nine more years to
go.
"It didn't hit me until I went
to the bus station that I was released -
unsupervised," recalled Garrison. "The only
thing I could think about was my twin. He was
supposed to be with me. We walked in together;
we should have walked out
together."
The brothers - who
continue to maintain their innocence - were
separately convicted of conspiracy to distribute
powder and crack cocaine just a few months after
having graduated from Howard University. They
were charged with conspiracy as part of a
20-person powder and crack cocaine operation,
implicated by a target of the investigation, the
owner of a Maryland auto body shop who received
a reduced 36-month prison sentence in exchange
for information. Although no drugs,
paraphernalia or drug money were found in the
Garrison's home, or on their person, they were
subject to the harsh, mandatory minimum sentence
that crack cocaine offenses
deliver.
For the first time, the
Garrison twins were separated in 1998 - by
unfair, draconian sentencing. Lawrence served
his sentence in Elkton, Ohio, while his brother
remains at a prison in Manchester,
Kentucky.
Lawrence Garrison
returned to Washington in January and resides
with his mother and great uncle. He clearly
remembers his first family meal upon returning:
a salad, with broccoli, cheese, ranch dressing,
and a slice of cheesecake which he shared with
his grandmother and mother, Karen Garrison, who
also is an active advocate for sentencing reform
and works for Families Against Mandatory
Minimums. He's currently living with his mother
in the home he and his brother were raised in
together, which keeps him motivated to continue
to advocate on behalf of his brother and others
like him.
"We're contemplating a commutation
for my brother," said Garrison who celebrates
his 36th birthday this month. "I've been on the
Hill a couple of times. Everywhere I speak,
every organization I speak to, I advocate for my
brother. The same way my mom has for the last 10
1/2 years."
Garrison is grateful to
be able to speak to his twin on the phone - a
luxury he was not permitted while incarcerated.
He also appreciates what he calls "those little
things," like being treated with respect and
"not hearing keys jingle and doors being locked
behind me." Click here to read
more.
Crack the Disparity Coalition Takes
Message to Hill
Two defendants
appear
before a
federal judge on drug charges.One is charged
with possession of five grams of crack cocaine;
the
other is charged with trafficking 500 grams of
powder cocaine. Neither person
has any prior convictions.Who gets the longer
sentence, the crack cocaine addict or the powder
cocaine trafficker? The most likely answer is
that both will get the same mandatory five-year
sentence, despite the fact that the cocaine
seller had 100 times more cocaine than the crack
cocaine user.
 This question was posed
to staffers during a legislative lunch
briefing on crack cocaine sentencing in March.
Panelists Kara Gotsch of The Sentencing
Project, Hilary Shelton of the NAACP,
Jasmine Tyler of the Drug Policy Alliance, and
Bruce Nicholson of the American Bar Association
participated. Moderated by Nkechi Taifa of the
Open Society Policy Center, panelists discussed
the history and impact of this lopsided law,
dispelled unsupported myths, and described
current legislative initiatives.
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Crack the Disparity
Month of Advocacy Kicks
Off
By Nkechi
Taifa " President Obama and
Vice President Biden believe the disparity
between sentencing crack and powder-based
cocaine is wrong and should be completely
eliminated."
-www.whitehouse.gov What better
kickoff can a national month of advocacy have
than with the nation's President and Vice
President heavily weighing in on the importance
of the issue? The disparate
sentencing structure between crack and powder
cocaine will be the subject of focused attention
during the month of April, spearheaded by the
Justice Roundtable's Crack the Disparity
campaign. This is the second year an entire
month has been dedicated to sustained national
scrutiny, awareness, and advocacy on the issue
of crack cocaine sentencing reform. Last
year's Crack the Disparity lobby month
activities were enhanced with hearings in both
the House and Senate. This year's
activities include a Letter-A-Day campaign to
the Hill, a National Call-In Day for
organizations to mobilize their members and
supporters to call their congressional
delegation, and in-district meetings. The month
will culminate with a National Lobby Day on
April 28th, where advocates from across the
country will descend on Washington, D.C.'s
Capitol Hill to target representatives and
senators about the need for reform. Click
here to read
more. |
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Hearing from the Folks
Back Home - April In-District
Meeting
By Ian
Thompson
This year, as part
of our Crack the Disparity Advocacy Month, we
will be helping our great advocates and
grassroots supporters from across the country in
organizing in-district meetings with senators
and representatives in the locations that matter
most - in their home state offices! While
people may assume that if you really want to get
your voices heard, it's important to make a trip
to the halls of Congress, there is nothing as
powerful as a group of committed constituents
meeting with members on their own turf.
After all, at the end of the day, you are the
ones who determine if your elected
representatives and senators get to return to
Congress. Click
here to read
more. |
Crack Cocaine and Powder
Cocaine Sentencing Disparity Talking
Points
During this Crack the Disparity Month of
Advocacy, the Crack the Disparity Coalition
wants to equip you with materials that will aid
in fruitful visits, calls and letters to your
representatives. Use these talking points to
persuade your members of Congress to endorse a
system of justice where all individuals are
treated equally and where laws do not single out
groups for different treatment. To reach your
members of Congress, call the U.S. Capitol
Switchboard at 202.224.3121. Click
here to read
more.
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 Cheatsheets for
Writing to Your Members of Congress and
News Editors
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Save the
Date
 April 4, 2009:
What is Justice? Wrongful Convictions
Panel Discussion, Fairfield, AL
April 7, 2009:
The Maryland and Virginia Chapters of the
ACLU Host a Free Screening of " American Violet," a Film Inspired
by True Events, Washington, DC. RSVP via email
to Beverly Miller or call
202.457.0800. |
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The Crack the
Disparity Coalition includes the American Bar
Association,
American Civil Liberties Union,
Break the Chains, Drug Policy
Alliance,
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People,
National
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers,
Open Society Policy Center, Restoring
Dignity, Inc.,
Students for Sensible Drug Policy,
The Sentencing Project, and
United Methodist Church, General Board of
Church and
Society. | | |