One tiny step for racial equity

The Supreme Court issued a ruling today that allows judges to make downward adjustments from mandatory punishments in the federal sentencing guidelines. This 7-2 ruling is certainly good news for those who are concerned with racial equity in the US.

The particular case at hand focused on the crack-cocaine punishment disparity, which has a particularly nefarious racial component. As Marc Mauer from The Sentencing Project says, "Harsh mandatory sentences, particularly for those offenses involving crack cocaine, have created unjust racial disparity and excessive punishment for low-level offenses."

UPDATE: More good news from the US Sentencing Commission.