Indeed, even joseph persico, the aide who helped push through rockefellers drug laws, has said, ai concluded very early that this was a failure. Elaine bartlett and her story told in the book life on the outside critically depicts the effects of the rockefeller drug. Many prominent new yorkers who were early supporters of the harsh penalties prescribed by the rockefeller drug laws have renounced their support for those laws. Frydl, the drug wars in america, 19401973 new york, 20. The laws are named after nelson rockefeller, who was the states governor at the time the laws were adopted. In may of 1973, new yorks governor nelson rockefeller pushed through the state legislature a set of stringent antidrug laws. On may 3, 1973, after the failure of nonpunitive measure to stem the rising tide of drug usage, the legislature enacted statutes providing severe penalties for sale or possession of. The real roots of 70s drug laws the new york times. The rockefeller drug laws, enacted in 1973, imposed mandatory minimum prison terms for possession or sale of relatively small amounts of drugs. Nelson aldrich rockefeller july 8, 1908 january 26, 1979 was an american businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the united states from 1974 to 1977, and previously as the 49th governor of new york from 1959 to 1973. Under the rockefeller drug laws, passed at the height of public panic over drugs and street crime, anyone convicted of selling 2 ounces or possessing 4 ounces of cocaine or heroin, an a1 felony. His book covers the time period from the civil war up to governor rockefellers enactment of harsh drug crime laws in new york in 1973.
The rockefeller drug laws are the statutes dealing with the sale and possession of narcotic. Background on the rockefeller drug law reforms drug policy. This history contributes to a growing body of literature that has challenged and complicated the traditional backlash narrative of law and order. A brief history of new yorks rockefeller drug laws time.
Background on new yorks draconian rockefeller drug laws a criminal justice approach to drug use and addiction enacted in 1973 under thengovernor nelson rockefeller, the rockefeller drug laws mandated extremely harsh prison terms for possession or sale of relatively small amounts of drugs. Aug 06, 2002 under the rockefeller drug laws, passed at the height of public panic over drugs and street crime, anyone convicted of selling 2 ounces or possessing 4 ounces of cocaine or heroin, an a1 felony. July 8, 1839 may 23, 1937 was an american business magnate and philanthropist. New yorks decision to repeal the rockefeller drug laws bids an overdue farewell to decades of harmful, counterproductive policy fri 27 mar 2009 18. Rockefeller drug laws cause racial disparities, huge taxpayer. The laws almost immediately led to an increase in drug convictions, but no measurable decrease in overall crime. Rockefeller in 1885 born john davison rockefeller 18390708 july 8, 1839 richford, new york, u. These other laws give judges greater discretion to sentence any drug offender to treatment, probation or prison depending on the offense and the persons history. New yorks jim crow laws there has emerged over the last decade a broad consensus among policy experts, criminal justice scholars and lawmakers that the war on drugs, with its singular emphasis on incarceration, has failed. The book opens on the morning of january 26, 2000, when bartlett. Mar 27, 2009 new yorks decision to repeal the rockefeller drug laws bids an overdue farewell to decades of harmful, counterproductive policy fri 27 mar 2009 18.
To capture the implications of rockefellers proposal for political culture, this study focuses mainly on the social and cultural history of this legislation, and only tangentially follows the intricacies of the drug policy debates or the institutional history of drug treatment in new york. New yorks rockefeller drug laws and the making of a punitive state. Even in new york state, famous for its draconian rockefeller laws, the decline in the number of inmates imprisoned for drug offenses in the past fifteen years has been dramaticwithout. Rockefeller drug laws sentencing chart for drug offenses in. People rally for the repeal of the rockefeller drug laws outside the nyc bar association on west 44th st as the sentencing commission holds public hearings inside. Governor nelson rockefeller did not root his campaign for. Rockefeller drug laws sentencing chart for drug offenses. John dunne, the former republican senator and original sponsor of the rockefeller drug laws, has said, the rockefeller drug laws have failed to achieve their goals. As a historian who studies the laws 1973 passage, i have watched with. The statutes became known as the rockefeller drug laws a milestone in americas war on drugs and the subject of one of the most abrasive legal tugofwars in the nation. Russell simmons druglaw reform crusade scores a victory. Sentencing chart for drug offenses under rockefeller drug laws class ai first offense determinate sentence. February 14, 20 forty years ago, new york enacted tough laws in response to a wave of drugrelated crime. Rockefeller and andrew carnegie killed natural medicine and built the big pharma drug empire of today.
Background on new yorks draconian rockefeller drug laws. Rockefeller, impressed with the work of photographer lee boltin and editorpublisher paul anbinder on the book, cofounded nelson rockefeller publications, inc. May 08, 20 itas clear, however, that public opinion has shifted since the rockefeller drug laws were enacted 40 years ago. After more than 30 years of advocacy, nyclu celebrates historic reforms of the states notorious rockefeller drug sentencing laws. Rockefeller drug laws failed to curb drug use or abuse in new york, but successfully disrupted low income communities. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading black silent majority. Rockefeller drug laws cause racial disparities, huge. How we misunderstand mass incarceration the new yorker. Current antidrug policies are based on a set of controversial laws first adopted in new york in the early 1970s and championed by the states republican governor, nelson rockefeller. Rockefeller drug laws 20 years later before a hearing convened by the assembly committee on codes.
Squibb, another rockefeller controlled company, in 1945 made not 6% but 576% on the actual value of its property. John dunne, the former republican senator and sponsor of the rockefeller drug laws, has said, the rockefeller drug laws have failed to achieve their goals. Jun 01, 2015 julilly kohlerhausmann, the attila the hun law. Rockefeller has 30 books on goodreads with 45 ratings. Many groups and advocates are trying to seek reform for these draconian and unjust drug laws. He also served as assistant secretary of state for american republic affairs for presidents franklin d. The rockefeller drug laws and the politics of punishment kindle edition by fortner, michael javen. Jan 24, 20 join in the conversation about new yorks rockefeller drug laws and find more information and photographs at. The drug laws that changed how we punish forty years ago, new york enacted tough laws in response to a wave of drugrelated crime. Contrast fortners book with michelle alexanders the new jim crow like fortner, she does considerable research and outlines our racist legal history very well. The truth about the rockefeller drug empire the drug story. May 08, 2008 many prominent new yorkers who were early supporters of the harsh penalties prescribed by the rockefeller drug laws have renounced their support for those laws.
Their expressed intent was to deter the sale or use of such drugs, and to imprison those not deterred. The rockefeller drug laws are the statutes dealing with the sale and possession of narcotic drugs in the new york state penal law. Black silent majority michael javen fortner harvard. As the history of the rockefeller drug laws suggests, if crime rates climb to extraordinary levels, black citizens may once again value public safety more than civil liberty and all the. Fortners book stands out for its reasoned approach in explaining a complex history and helps us understand similar problems today. Instead, they were the result of a particular historical moment, a politically expedient, emotional declaration by governor rockefeller in the midst of mass social upheaval and growing heroin addiction. New yorks rockefeller drug laws and the making of a punitive state, journal of social history, 44 fall 2010, 7195. Sep 28, 2015 as the history of the rockefeller drug laws suggests, if crime rates climb to extraordinary levels, black citizens may once again value public safety more than civil liberty and all the. Among the most severe in the nation, the purpose of these laws was and is to deter citizens from using or selling drugs and to punish and isolate from society those who were not deterred. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Rockefeller had previously backed drug rehabilitation, job training and housing as strategies, having. I was looking forward to more of a quantitative analysis over attitudes to drug policy in nyc, but it was very much a narrative driven history, detailing the advocacy of certain activists during the period and the evolution of gov rockefellers views on drug policy. The rockefeller drug laws rampant drug use in the early 1970s led the new york state legislature to institute a number of reforms to combat the growing problem. Nixons 1970s war on drugs, which targeted nonviolent and drug offenders, and that mass incarceration of african americans was a result of post. Finally, after years of agitation and argument, the rockefellerera drug laws have been relegated to history. The drug laws that changed how we punish forty years ago, new york enacted tough laws in response to a wave of drug related crime. Most of the news coming out of albany has been of the unwelcome variety, but let it be.
Here, history teaches that these laws were never a reasoned strategy to address drug abuse. Sociology and social work drug abuse care and treatment laws, regulations and rules drug abuse treatment governors analysis social policy liberalism murder narcotic laws interpretation and. Apr 18, 2020 the rockefeller drug laws, named after new yorks governor nelson rockefeller, were a set of laws enacted in 1973 that imposed the nations harshest penalties for the sale, possession, and use of illegal drugs. After a 36year legal tugofwar new yorks drug laws are seeing their most far reaching reforms yet. Reforming the laws has been an ongoing campaign, and in the past few years hiphop artists and. Section i social and personal control, essay by journal of social history. Opinion the real roots of 70s drug laws the new york. They became known as the rockefeller drug laws, and they set the standard for states. Jun 23, 2008 here, history teaches that these laws were never a reasoned strategy to address drug abuse. They became known as the rockefeller drug laws, and they set the.
Their essence was to send drug felons to prison for very long stretches, with. The rockefeller drug laws, named after new yorks governor nelson rockefeller, were a set of laws enacted in 1973 that imposed the nations harshest penalties for the sale, possession, and use of illegal drugs. The carceral state and the crucible of black politics. The rockefellercarnegie big pharma scam the killing of. Black silent majority uncovers the role african americans played in creating todays system of mass incarceration. Instead they have handcuffed our judges, filled our prisons to dangerously overcrowded conditions, and denied. Mancuso insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results. Abstractthis article analyzes local debates around the enactment of new yorks 1973 rockefeller drug laws, which marked a watershed moment in the turn towards punitive drug policy. The failure of the drug law reform acts of 2004 and 2005 to remedy the injustices of new yorks rockefeller drug laws and the compromise of 20091 peter a.
How the rockefeller drug laws changed america ncpr news. Join in the conversation about new yorks rockefeller drug laws and find more information and photographs at. The rockefeller drug laws and the politics of punishment. After rockefellers death less than a year later, the company continued as hudson hills press, inc. Black silent majority michael javen fortner harvard university. Drug law reform groups have asked the sentencing commission to go further in reducing the devastating impact of the rockefeller drug laws. A brief history of new york state drug laws law offices. It is a pleasure to appear before this panel to formalize. Moreover, the academy has evolved into a highly credible urban health think tank, working with elected officials and health professionals at the highest levels of government, including our pivotal role in helping to bring about muchneeded reform around the states draconian rockefeller drug laws.
On tuesday, state lawmakers voted to reduce penalties imposed by the socalled rockefeller drug laws. If you glanced at the times last thursday, you might think governor paterson and state legislators had finally woken up and decided to wipe the rockefeller drug laws off the books. In 1973, as drug use and crime rates around the country were on the rise, new york state passed a set of narcotics laws that became known by the name of their primary champion, gov. Life on the outside tells the story of elaine bartlett, who spent sixteen years in bedford hills prison for selling cocainea first offenseunder new yorks rockefeller drug laws. In 1993, on the 20thanniversary of the rockefeller drug laws, new york state corrections commis sioner thomas coughlin,iii, said the state was lock. Jun 23, 2008 of course the rockefeller drug laws have failed to reduce crime and drug abuse. Why its time to scrap the rockefeller drug laws history.
In the 1960s, new york state was known for treating drug addiction as a. The laws that bear the former vicepresident and governors name made their way onto the books powered by flames of hysteriaa blaze fanned frantically by rockefeller himself. Of course the rockefeller drug laws have failed to reduce crime and drug abuse. Seeks to reverse the conventional wisdom about not only the rockefeller laws themselves, but also the broader history of the war on drugs after black. John davidson rockefeller 18391937 was an american oil industry business magnate, industrialist, and philanthropist.
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