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.
Grassroots organizing is one of the strategies needed to end life imprisonment. Bringing the power of those directly impacted by long prison terms to the surface makes space for individuals to challenge extreme sentences.
A bill before the District of Columbia Council would extend sentence reviews to people convicted for an offense before turning 25, allowing a second look for more people who deserve a chance to reenter society.
