publications
September 22, 2021
Sign-on Letter: Stop Sequel Pomegranate’s Abuse of Ohio's Youth and Families
Pomegranate survivors and youth justice organizations request a meeting with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to discuss ways to prevent placement of youth in for-profit youth residential treatment facilities, and to ensure that youth receive care in safe environments free from abuse and neglect.
publications
September 13, 2021
Letter Supporting Immediate Consideration and Passage of Sentencing Reform Legislation
At least three bipartisan sentencing reform proposals, the First Step Implementation Act (S.1014), the COVID-19 Safer Detention Act (S.312), and the Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act (S.601) await a floor vote after the Judiciary Committee approved them this past spring.
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.
news
September 07, 2021
Meeting the Back-to-School Challenge: Get Involved!
By investing in proven solutions and partnering with the community, the education system can avert potential tragedy in 2021-22 and establish a new normal in our education system that fosters success, promotes equity, and recognizes the realities of adolescent behavior and brain development.
publications
August 31, 2021
Back-to-School Action Guide: Re-Engaging Students and Closing the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Thanks to a $122 billion infusion of federal funds, schools and communities can invest vast resources in effective new approaches that offer us the power to keep children in school and help them progress along the path to educational success.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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