1996: Race and the Drug War
May 01, 1996
Reginald Stuart '71
In an article published in Emerge magazine, Reginald Stuart exposed the lengthy mandatory sentence of 24 ½ years imposed on Kemba Smith, a black college student with no criminal record for a drug conspiracy charge in connection with her abusive boyfriend. Stuart’s reporting helped get her sentence commuted to time served – 6 ½ years – and contributed to a growing movement for reform of sentencing laws.
Read "Kemba's Nightmare"
