publications
April 19, 2018
Report to the United Nations on Racial Disparities in the U.S. Criminal Justice System
The Sentencing Project submitted a report to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance
news
April 05, 2018
Disenfranchisement News: Woman sentenced to 5 years for voting with a felony conviction
A woman on supervised release voted in the November election and was sentenced to 5 years in prison, Florida officials appeal court order to reform system for restoring voting rights, and more in Disenfranchisement News.
Willie Mays Aikens
In 2008, Willie Mays Aikens made headlines when a federal judge reduced his lengthy prison term to 14 years as a result of the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s adjustment to the crack cocaine sentencing guidelines. Aikens was released in June 2008.
news
March 30, 2018
Race & Justice News: Jackson, MS to Stop Releasing Mug Shots of People Shot by Police
"The last image of any person should not be on the worst day of their life," said Jackson Mayor. Learn more in Race & Justice News.
publications
March 29, 2018
The Sentencing Project Releases its 2017 Annual Report
Learn more about how our research and analysis in 2017 played a major role in shaping the policy debate around criminal justice reform.
Lawrence and Lamont Garrison
Sentences for federal drug crimes are based on the quantity of the drugs involved, not the individual’s role in the crime. The emphasis on quantity rather than the role of the offender, along with the conspiracy laws, too often result in disproportionate sentencing, even for first-time offenses such as the Garrisons’.
news
March 28, 2018
Punitive responses to gang violence are not effective
Residents of the communities that experience gang crime want it to stop, and there are better ways to make that happen than sending more people to prison for ever longer sentences.
news
March 26, 2018
State Advocacy News: Challenging mass incarceration
Efforts are underway to expand voting rights, recalibrate life prison terms, and counter efforts to enhance penalties
Christopher Poulos
When Chris Poulos was arrested, he experienced firsthand the difference that money can make in the criminal justice system. He recounts the experience in his own words.
news
February 28, 2018
Race & Justice News: As Cities Become Safer, Racial Disparities Decrease
Report finds that as the rate of violent crime decreased in U.S. cities, other societal conditions have improved; Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego apply marijuana reforms retroactively; and more in Race & Justice News.
news
February 26, 2018
Disenfranchisement News: Judge rules Florida's rights restoration process is unconstitutional
Judge says elected, partisan officials have extraordinary authority to grant or withhold the right to vote from hundreds of thousands of people without any constraints, guidelines, or standards.
news
February 23, 2018
Justice reform advocates continue legacy of civil rights movement
In honor of Black History Month, The Sentencing Project is shining a spotlight on some of our valued colleagues working to address racial disparities within the criminal justice system.
publications
February 13, 2018
Felony Disenfranchisement in Mississippi
In Mississippi, nearly 1 of every 10 adults is disenfranchised due to a felony conviction—more than triple the national rate.
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