Shifting Blame
Ministry of Ideas
00:00
The Len Baez Law and the War on Drugs
In the 1980s, crack cocaine became more prevalent in black communities. The Anti-drug Abuse Act of 1986 was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. One of its statutes allowed people to be charged with 20 years to life for providing drugs that led to another person's death. This statute became known as the Len Baez Law. Today, almost half a million people are incarcerated for drug offenses nationwide.
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