news
September 07, 2021
Expanding Voting Rights to People with Felony Convictions: State Briefs
The Sentencing Project is committed to expanding voting rights in every state and works with state partners to provide specific data on state felony disenfranchisement.
publications
August 20, 2021
Conversation About Crime Survivors and Justice Reforms
The Sentencing Project and national victim/survivor advocate Anne Seymour, with support from Open Philanthropy, sponsored a virtual conversation to identify strategies that can more wholly identify and address the needs of survivors, those who harm them, and the communities in which they reside.
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’.
publications
July 28, 2021
Voting Rights in the Era of Mass Incarceration: A Primer
As of 2020, 5.2 million Americans were prohibited from voting due to laws that disenfranchise citizens convicted of felony offenses. Felony disenfranchisement rates vary by state, as states institute a wide range of disenfranchisement policies.
news
July 27, 2021
Race & Justice News: Eliminating Crack / Cocaine Sentencing Disparity
House Vote on Eliminating Sentencing Disparity Between Crack and Powder Cocaine, a study commissioned by Denver District Attorney finds disparate prosecutorial outcomes, and more in Race & Justice News.
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
July 20, 2021
Letter Supporting the Passage of the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law (EQUAL) Act
In a letter of support submitted to the House Judiciary Committee, The Sentencing Project's Executive Director Amy Fettig expressed the importance of passing the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law (EQUAL) Act.
publications
July 20, 2021
Testimony to Maryland Juvenile Justice Reform Council on Trends Charging Children As Adults
The Sentencing Project strongly encourages the Juvenile Justice Reform Council to adopt recommendations [based on research and public safety] that will ensure all children start in juvenile court, and that cases are reviewed on an individual basis by a judge before determining they should be sent to adult court
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
July 15, 2021
Statement on U.S. Department of Justice Stakeholder Listening Session on First Step Act Implementation
The Sentencing Project submitted written comments for a U.S. Department of Justice Stakeholder Listening Session on First Step Act Implementation.
publications
July 15, 2021
Black Disparities in Youth Incarceration
Despite long-term declines in youth incarceration, the disparity at which black and white youth are held in juvenile facilities has grown. Black youth are more than four times as likely to be detained or committed in juvenile facilities as their white peers.
December 01, 2017
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
July 15, 2021
Disparities in Tribal Youth Incarceration
Disparities in tribal youth incarceration have grown worse over the course of the decade, with tribal youth being more than three times as likely to be incarcerated than their white peers.
publications
July 15, 2021
Latinx Disparities in Youth Incarceration
Latinx youth are 28 percent more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers, a sharp improvement over the course of the decade.
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.
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