news
October 20, 2018
Marc Mauer Named “Frederick Douglass 200” Awardee
The Sentencing Project's Executive Director Marc Mauer has been named a "Frederick Douglass 200" Awardee for his continued scholarship and advocacy that has impacted "anti-incarceration activism around the country."
news
October 17, 2018
Disenfranchisement News: Felony Disenfranchisement and the Midterm Elections
More than 6 million people are ineligible to vote in the midterm elections in November 2018 because of a felony conviction.
Marlo Hargrove and David Waller
Marlo Hargrove and David Waller both successfully regained their voting rights after receiving felony convictions and serving their sentences.
news
September 29, 2018
State Advocacy News: Criminal Justice Reform on the Ballot
Proposed ballot measures this November include an expansion of voting rights for persons with felony convictions, sentencing reform, and addressing police use of force standards.
news
September 26, 2018
Race & Justice News: DC Girls of Color Increasingly Arrested
Although arrests of boys in Washington, DC have declined in the last decade, arrests of girls have increased.
Andres Idarraga
After his release in June of 2004, Andres Idarraga became a full-time student at Brown University studying comparative literature and economics while maintaining full-time employment. Idarraga saw his right to vote as a significant and crucial aspect to rebuilding his life and to contributing to his community.
news
September 25, 2018
How the Law Treats Kids Who Didn't Grow Up Like Kavanaugh
The judge’s allies should ask themselves if young offenders in general deserve more leniency.
publications
September 05, 2018
Decarceration Strategies: How 5 States Achieved Substantial Prison Population Reductions
Connecticut, Michigan, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and South Carolina have reduced their prison populations between 14-25% over the past decade. This report describes how these five states can serve as decarceration roadmaps for other states.
Dorothy Gaines
Dorothy Gaines's life changed when Alabama state police raided her home for drugs. Police found no evidence of Gaines having possessed or sold drugs, yet federal prosecutors charged Gaines with drug conspiracy.
publications
August 27, 2018
Public Comment on Commission’s Proposed Priorities for 2018-2019 Amendment Cycle
A coalition of civil rights, criminal justice reform, and human rights groups provided comments to the U.S. Sentencing Commission on ways to improve the fairness and proportionality of the Guidelines; promote individualized review of specific offense conduct; and mitigate excessively punitive provisions.
news
August 07, 2018
Race & Justice News: Homicide Clearance Disparities Contribute to Capital Punishment Disparities
Homicides involving white victims are significantly more likely to be "cleared" by the arrest of a suspect than homicides involving victims of color, causing racial disparities in capital sentencing to begin as early as police investigations. Learn more in Race & Justice News.
Kimberly Haven
Kimberly Haven’s journey as an advocate began when she sought to regain her own voting rights after release from a Maryland prison in 2001. She soon became passionate about the unfairness of disenfranchising citizens after they have completed their sentence and returned to the community.
publications
August 02, 2018
Private Prisons in the United States
U.S. private prisons incarcerated 128,063 people in 2016, representing 8.5% of the total state and federal prison population.
publications
August 02, 2018
Capitalizing on Mass Incarceration: U.S. Growth in Private Prisons
The introduction of profit incentives into the country’s incarceration buildup crosses a troubling line that puts financial gain above the public interest of safety and rehabilitation.
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.
Load More