news
June 21, 2022
Race & Justice News: North Carolina Re-Enfranchises People on Probation and Parole
North Carolina Court re-enfranchises people on probation and parole, state supreme courts lack racial diversity, and more in the latest Race & Justice Newsletter.
publications
June 14, 2022
Data Reveals Violence Among Youth Under 18 Has Not Spiked in the Pandemic
Pervasive discussions about adolescent crime have revitalized calls for punitive approaches to youth justice that don’t work
Kemba Smith
At 24 years old, Kemba Smith was sentenced to 24.5 years in prison for conspiracy to participate in her boyfriend's drug activities, a non-violent, first-time offense. For years, her parents galvanized a tireless movement seeking clemency for their daughter.
publications
June 09, 2022
Incarcerated LGBTQ+ Adults and Youth
This brief examines the criminalization and over-incarceration of LGBTQ+ people in the United States, highlighting the drivers of overrepresentation and presenting recommendations for reform.
publications
May 27, 2022
Oversight Hearing on Clemency and the Office of the Pardon Attorney
Senior Fellow William "Bill" Underwood testified before the House Judiciary Committee about the need for Congress to provide more opportunities for second chances for people serving extreme sentences.
James Inge
James D. Inge is one of 300 individuals age 60 or older arrested between 1965 and 1980 that was sentenced to life imprisonment in Pennsylvania. Learn more about his campaign to give rehabilitated seniors serving life a second chance.
publications
May 12, 2022
Incarcerated Women and Girls
Research on female incarceration is critical to understanding the full consequences of mass incarceration and to unraveling the policies and practices that lead to their criminalization. The number of incarcerated women was nearly five times higher in 2020 than in 1980.
publications
April 26, 2022
Media Guide: 10 Crime Coverage Dos and Don'ts
The Sentencing Project’s new media guide can help media outlets develop coverage that will better inform the public and policymakers on how to pursue the most effective and humane public safety policies.
Denver Schimming
As a previously incarcerated person who had his voting rights restored in 1996, Denver Schimming knew the power and importance of voting. His years in prison taught him that the criminal justice system could change only if impacted people spoke out. After his incarceration, voting was one of his highest priorities.
news
April 11, 2022
#SecondChanceMonth: Unlock the Vote
Honoring April as Second Chance Month gives us an opportunity to check in on developments in voting rights and expanding the franchise to incarcerated voters. The Sentencing Project is working regularly with state and local campaigns to expand voting rights to justice impacted voters.
publications
April 05, 2022
Letter Opposing the PROTECT Act of 2022
The PROTECT Act of 2022 would have far-reaching implications for eroding fairness and justice, including the potential to usher in a new era of mandatory minimums.
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
March 31, 2022
Felony Murder: An On-Ramp for Extreme Sentencing
Although other countries have largely rejected the felony murder doctrine, 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government still use these laws. Felony murder laws compel harsh decades-long – or even life – sentences even when the individual charged did not directly cause or intend the loss of life.
publications
March 30, 2022
California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans - Criminal Justice Panel
Nicole D. Porter, Senior Director of Advocacy, testified before the California's Reparations Task Force on the Criminal Justice Panel.
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’.
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