According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the U.S. has the largest incarcerated population in the world, holding nearly 25% of the world’s prisoners while accounting for only 5% of the global population. Our federal prisons are operating at overcapacity, with nearly half of inmates serving unduly long sentences for nonviolent, drug-related offenses. This is the result of the War on Crime’s legacy of extreme mandatory minimum sentences, “three-strike” enhancements, and restrictions on release that disproportionately impact the poor, communities of color, and youth being tried and convicted as adults. This inequity further exacerbates disparities faced by vulnerable communities
In an effort to reduce these inequities and reduce the prison population Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Grassley (R-IA) introduced The First Step Implementation Act (S.1014/H.R.3510), the Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act (S.601/H.R.1621), and the COVID-19 Safer Detention Act (S.312/H.R.3669). Collectively referred to as the “sentencing reform package,” these bills take incremental but important steps in mitigating the harm of mass incarceration by reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenses and lowering the federal prison population.
As followers of the One who proclaimed freedom and release to the prisoner, it is incumbent upon us to work to build a justice system that honors human dignity and allows for the possibility of redemption of all people. Call on your senators and representatives today to urge them to pass the sentencing reform package to build a more equitable and just world for all.