Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 12-4-15 Edition

Local All About You!
Group Continues To Lobby For Changes In Sentencing Guidelines
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
“If anyone tries to con- vince you that the sentencing guidelines are fair and equally applied when it comes to race and gender, make sure they know the dominant ethnic group serv- ing time on drug charges,” said Brunette McCray.
Ms. McCray, along with Shirley Copeland, Bessie Salters, and Cynthia Williams, want to appeal to other individuals who have unjustly sentenced to long prison terms as Salters and Williams have experienced.
“Don’t get us wrong. We believe people should be punished for breaking the law,” said Ms. Salters.
“We just don’t under- stand why that punishment isn’t universal. It’s a proven fact that African Americans and other minorities are sen- tenced to lengthy prison terms more than their white counterparts for the same of- fense.”
All four women say the disparity in the sentencing guidelines was established when the country took a racial approach to dealing
From left to right: Shirley Copeland, Bessie Salters, Brunette McCray, and Cynthia Williams.
with the rise in drug sales and use in this country.
“The United States gov- ernment decided it would put the majority of its resources into street-level drug dealers and a few distributors,” said Mrs. Copeland.
“When I start reading about suppliers being locked up, then I’ll be convinced the government is actually trying to do something.”
The ladies said when the government decided to target inner-city communities, they found an endless supply of residents for prison systems all over the country, espe- cially in Florida where there
are more Black drug offend- ers serving time than any other state.
“It a shame, because they know the sentencing guide- lines aren’t fair, but all they do is acknowledge the cur- rent system is wrong,” said Ms. Williams.
“Very little has been done to correct this practice. There’s no equal justice in the current system.”
After the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, all four women plan to kick-off 2016 with a full campaign to at- tract family members of men and women serving unjust sentences on drug charges.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday, DJ Smooth. The big 31.
DJ SMOOTH
Local
USF College Of Nursing To Deliver Teddy Bears To Sick Children
On Wednesday, December 2nd, the University of South Florida, College Of Nursing began delivering cuddly panda bears to sick children. The con- tinued tradition of the holiday spirit will continue until De- cember 9th. The participants will deliver the bears to seven local hospitals.
The custom teddy bears, dressed in their own USF Nursing uniforms, will be hand delivered by students, faculty, staff and alumni to pediatric patients as part of the college’s Bulls Encouraging and Assist- ing through Research and Scholarship (B.E.A.R.S.) Pro- gram.
On Wednesday, volunteers delivered the bears to the fol- lowing hospitals: Sarasota Me- morial Hospital between 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
On Thursday, volunteers will visit Mease Countryside Hospital from 10:30 a.m. to Noon; and St. Joseph’s Chil- dren’s Hospital from 2 p.m. t0 3:30 p.m.
They will visit Tampa Gen- eral Hospital on Friday, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The volunteers will stop by Florida Hospital Tampa on Monday, between 10:30 a.m.
USF PANDA BEAR
and noon.
Their next stop will be Mor-
ton Plant Hospital on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. And their final stop will be All Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The B.E.A.R.S. Program encourages alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends to support the college while shar- ing a little joy with children in the Tampa Bay community. The proceeds help benefit the college’s research and student success initiatives.
Christopher J. Davis,
President of LAD Enterprises, Inc., donated the bears to the USF College of Nursing.
For information on how to participate in the B.E.A.R.S. program, visit www.usfnurs- ingbears.com
PAGE 8-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015