Dear John,

On Thursday, October 6, President Biden granted pardons to thousands of people who had been convicted at the federal level for simple possession of marijuana since it became a crime in the 1970s. [White House Statement] As a national faith-based organizing network, Gamaliel commends the President’s historic and moral action. While the action is historic, it is also only a first step in rethinking the reasons for depriving people of their liberty.

For too long, people of color—particularly young Black men—have been the target of criminalization efforts that have landed them in prison and burdened them with criminal records that have prevented them from securing employment, housing, education, and other opportunities; taken away their ability to vote, as well as others rights; and prevented them from participating fully and meaningfully in their communities.

Gamaliel calls on Governors around the country to take similar and immediate action where substantially more people are impacted by state laws that criminalize simple possession. In addition, we call on President Biden and the Congress to take bold action to reverse the damage done to countless people’s lives and their communities by the 1994 Crime Bill (i.e., Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994).