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The Influence of Crack Cocaine on the Likelihood of Incarceration for a Violent Offense: An Examination of a Prison Sample

California State University, Chico

Ronet Bachman

University of Delaware, Newark

One of the most heated debates surrounding the 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act has been about the "100 to 1" quantity ratio used for sentencing traffickers of the crack version of cocaine as compared to powder. This disparity primarily was based on the notion that crack cocaine users were more likely to engage in violence compared to their powder using counterparts (Everett, 1998; Sandy, 2003). However, there is still a paucity of empirical research that has examined the relationship between powder versus crack cocaine and violence. The purpose of this research was to investigate the following question: Do inmates who were under the influence of crack cocaine at the time of their offenses have a greater probability of being incarcerated for violent offenses compared to those offenders who were under the influence of powder cocaine? Clearly, the answer to this question is extremely relevant to policy regarding the 100 to 1 disparity in sentencing for crack offenders as mandated by the Act. Using race-specific models of logistic regression, results from this research found that respondents who were under the influence of either crack or powder cocaine were less likely to be incarcerated for a violent offense than respondents who were under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, the probabilities of serving time for a violent offense were approximately equal for individuals who were under the influence of crack cocaine compared to those who were under the influence of powder cocaine. However, the probability of serving time for a violent offense was approximately two times higher if the respondent was under the influence of alcohol compared to either crack or powder cocaine. This was true for both white and African-Americans offenders.

Key Words: crack cocaine • race • violence

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