WASHINGTON - September 22 - Despite growing opposition to long mandatory minimum prison terms, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will consider imposing new, even more draconian mandatory minimums on nonviolent drug offenders on Thursday, Sept. 23, in 2141 Rayburn HOB at 9:00 a.m.

Strong opposition to the measure is expected. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joined a group of religious leaders at a Capitol Hill press conference urging repeal of existing mandatory minimums. Waters promised energetic backing for the effort, which has been endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Council of Churches, United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Episcopal Church, Progressive National Baptist Convention, Union for Reform Judaism, Church of the Brethren Witness, United Church of Christ, and Unitarian Universalist Association.

H.R. 4547, sponsored by U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) would provide radical new mandatory minimums for a variety of nonviolent drug offenses. "This bill would effectively impose a five year mandatory minimum for anyone distributing any amount of a controlled substance in an urban area -- even medical marijuana dispensaries supported by local authorities," said Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "A 21-year-old who sells a few joints to his 17-year-old brother would face a mandatory ten years in federal prison for the first offense. Such cruel penalties will help nobody."

The case of Weldon H. Angelos of Salt Lake City, Utah, has sparked new controversy over mandatory minimums. Angelos faces a minimum of 55 years in federal prison for selling marijuana to uncover officers -- in part because he carried a gun at the time, even though it was never used and Angelos was not accused of any violent acts. During a Sept. 14 hearing on the case, U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell compared the sentence faced by Angelos with the sentences assigned under federal law for violent crimes: 25 years for hijacking an airplane, 20 years for a terrorist bombing intended to kill a bystander, 13 years for second-degree murder, and 11 years for rape of a 10-year-old child, asking, "Is there a rational basis for giving Mr. Angelos more time than the hijacker, the murderer, the rapist and so on?"

In April 2003 congressional testimony, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said, "Mandatory minimums are harsh and, in many cases, unjust."

###