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John,
Formerly incarcerated activists, lawmakers, and advocates achieved important changes in criminal justice policy last year to challenge extreme sentencing, expand voting rights and advance youth justice. " Top Trends in Criminal Justice Reform, 2022 [[link removed]] ," by Nicole D. Porter describes these key changes.
Highlights include:
*
Extreme
Sentencing
and
Decarceration:
Washington
D.C.
modernized
its
criminal
code
including
lowering
maximum
sentences
to
45
years,
eliminating
accomplice
liability
for
felony
murder,
and
expanding
judicial
reconsideration
for
all
persons
serving
long
prison
terms.
Final
approval
of
these
reforms
is
pending.
*
Challenging
Racial
Disparity:
California
officials
passed
the
Racial
Justice
Act
for
All,
which
allows
persons
with
certain
convictions
or
judgments
to
petition
the
court
and
seek
relief
if
racial
bias
was
proven
to
be
present
in
their
case.
*
Drug
Policy:
Four
states
-
Kentucky,
Maryland,
Missouri,
and
Colorado
-
considered
sentencing
alternatives
for
certain
drug
offenses
or
ballot
measures
to
legalize
or
decriminalize
certain
drugs.
*
Prison
Reform:
Four
states
-
Alabama,
Oregon,
Tennessee,
and
Vermont
-
adopted
ballot
measures
to
remove
language
from
their
state
constitutions
allowing
slavery
and
involuntary
servitude
as
punishment
for
the
conviction
of
a
crime.
*
Probation
and
Parole:
Two
states
-
Florida
and
Oklahoma
-
limited
the
use
of
incarceration
for
probation
and
parole
violations.
*
Guaranteeing
Voting
Rights:
Two
states
-
Massachusetts
and
Washington
-
adopted
policies
to
guarantee
ballot
access
for
incarcerated
voters.
*
Youth
Justice:
Four
states
-
Indiana,
Maryland,
Tennessee
and
Wyoming
-
adopted
policies
to
protect
young
defendants
and
expand
release
options
for
persons
sentenced
in
their
youth.
The full briefing paper, which includes details on the authorized legislation, can be found online here [[link removed]] .
Click to share this report on social media [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] Nicole D. Porter
Senior Director of Advocacy
Email: [email protected] [[email protected]]
Donate [[link removed]]
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