June 5, 2008

Greetings,

Break the Chains is pleased to welcome you to the Breaking the Chains by Making Connections conference. We hope you are ready for what will be a truly historic event.

This conference brings together people from the communities most affected by drug law enforcement to gain a holistic understanding of the impact of the “war on drugs” on communities of color. Over the course of the conference, we will begin to develop a plan for replacing our current failed drug policies with alternatives based on science, public health and human rights.

We invite you to take this opportunity to listen, discuss, debate, network, relax and make new friends and allies. We believe that if you do, you will find that by the end of the conference you will know a lot more about drug policy and the steps that we can take to lessen the harms caused by both drug abuse and punitive drug laws.

Break the Chains is proud to provide this forum to support the emerging social justice movement aimed at reforming our failed drug laws. We hope that this conference will be remembered as one of the important events in the effort to end the war on drugs, which is truly a war on communities of color.

Peace and Blessings,

Deborah Peterson Small,
Executive Director

1. Sign-on Sheet
2. Equalization Letter
3. 10 Point Document

Twenty years ago Congress enacted mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. Among other things, the sentencing scheme singled out crack cocaine offenses for especially harsh punishment, establishing a five year mandatory sentence for simple possession of five grams of crack cocaine and a 100:1 ratio in the threshold amounts triggering mandatory sentences for crack cocaine vs powder cocaine offense. A person convicted of selling 5 grams of crack cocaine receives a minimum sentence of five years- it takes 500 grams of powder cocaine to trigger the same mandatory sentence. The impact of these sentences has fallen disproportionately on African-Americans convicted of low level drug offenses.

Between 1995 and 2000 the percentage of federal crack cocaine convictions of street-level dealers rose from almost half (48.4%) to more than two thirds (66.5%) and in 2005 more than 82% of federal crack cocaine defendants were African-American. The United States Sentencing Commission has repeatedly called on Congress to eliminate the federal cocaine sentencing disparity and the mandatory minimum for simple possession of crack cocaine.

The time is ripe to mobilize leaders and advocates in affected communities to advocate for meaningful reform of this law which has exacerbated racial disparities in sentencing and incarceration for low level drug offenses, particularly of African-American defendants. We request that you join us in moving this issue to the forefront of the agenda for achieving significant drug policy reform during the coming federal legislative session.

Caught in the Net: The Impact of Drug Policies on Women and Families

(Fair Laws 4 Families)

The report was released in conjunction with a conference held at New York University Law School that brought together activists, formerly incarcerated women, judges, lawyers, treatment providers and other criminal justice professionals to examine the role drug laws and sentencing policies play in the increasing incarceration rate of women and propose alternatives that are both humane and effective.

Over the past decade members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) have made more arrests of people for possessing small amounts of marijuana than police in any other city in the United States. These arrests have fallen disproportionately on youth of color, especially Black and Latino youth living in the poorest communities.

On average NYPD officers have arrested about 100 Whites, 200 Latinos, and 400 Blacks every week for the last ten years. Break the Chains plans to release a report summarizing our findings and recommendations soon.

Among other activities, Break the Chains has organized major conferences in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Houston, and New York City that brought people together from diverse backgrounds to explore alternatives to existing drug policies. Our conferences are designed to achieve the following:

1. “Connect the dots” about the various ways that punitive drug policies disproportionately effect communities of color and relate to such issues as mandatory minimum sentencing, HIV and hepatitis C prevention, racial profiling, immigration policy, civic participation, access to appropriate drug treatment services, crime prevention, and family reunification.
2. Provide an opportunity for individuals to share their personal experiences and perspectives about the impact of the “war on drugs” on their lives and communities; facilitate their ability to build relationships and strategic alliances with other individuals and community-based organizations addressing similar local issues.
3. Examine and evaluate alternative drug policies based on science, compassion, health and human rights.
4. Motivate active engagement in drug policy reform efforts and the development of new reform initiatives.

Fill out this form for more information about appearances and participation at your events.

Employment Opportunities

Below is our current list of vacancies. If you wish to submit your application, please send it via e-mail, or you can fax us at the number listed below. Thanks!

• Public Relations Analyst
  Applicant must have a Bachelors degree or better.
• College Intern
  Must be at least a Junior in an accredited four year institution.
• Volunteer
  Must have a desire to help with our cause.

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