•Enacted in 1973 under then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the Rockefeller Drug Laws require harsh prison terms for the possession or sale of relatively small amounts of drugs. For example, the harshest provision of this statute mandates a judge to impose a prison term of eight to 20 years for anyone convicted of selling 2 ounces or possessing 8 ounces of a narcotic substance.

• The penalties apply without regard to the circumstances of the offense or the individual's character or background. Whether the person is a first-time or repeat offender, for instance, is irrelevant.