[[link removed]]
Dear John,
Lawmakers in the District of Columbia will soon vote on legislation that could transform the punishment paradigm for District residents and provide much needed sentencing relief. This week, I highlighted the value of the legislation in a Washington Post Op-Ed [[link removed]] and WJLA-TV interview [[link removed]] and called on DC’s Council to pass the Revised Criminal Code Act.
The Sentencing Project first endorsed the Revised Criminal Code Act last year because it would help to scale back extreme prison sentences, which are infused with racial bias and are counterproductive to public safety. A massive modernization of the criminal code, the legislation would also:
*
Eliminate
almost
all
mandatory
minimum
sentences
*
Cap
maximum
sentences
at
45
years
*
Expand
second
look
judicial
sentence
reviews
to
people
who
have
served
at
least
20
years
for
crimes
committed
at
age
25
and
up.
If passed, these reforms would set a vital precedent for the country in the fight to end life imprisonment, address racial disparities in incarceration, and scale back extreme sentences. For the District, the legislation would give hope to people who have lost decades of their lives to incarceration and help prioritize more effective investments in public safety. Our recent research [[link removed]] shows that while an astounding 56% of the U.S. prison population is serving a sentence of 10 years or longer, among imprisoned DC residents, 72% are serving such sentences.
The District of Columbia and the country must do better. Please share these commentaries with your friends and colleagues.
Share The Washington Post Op-Ed [[link removed].]
[[link removed]] Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
Email: [email protected]
Donate [[link removed]]
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