Nearly half of the U.S. prison population is now serving time for a violent offense, including assault and robbery. While the First Step Act and other criminal justice reforms have limited the number of people imprisoned for drug crimes, they have yet to meaningfully reduce excessive penalties for violent crimes. Thenextstep to ending mass incarceration must include scaling back excessive penalties for people convicted of violent crimes.
The Sentencing Project hosted a conversation with criminal justice reform advocates who have made inroads in fighting for this critical nextstep.
Despite evidence that adolescent brain development should mitigate the culpability of youth, all states allow juveniles to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Research is a starting point for many activists challenging mass incarceration, including tracking state imprisonment levels and other trends. Dismantling punitive policies that contribute to high prison populations requires a collaborative approach to shift hearts and minds through advocacy, research, and other strategies.
