To: President Donald Trump and The United States House of Representatives
Reform the Entire Criminal Justice System
America the Land of the Free is also the Land of Mass Incarceration. We have possibly the highest percentage of our own citizens in prisons than any other country in the world, and most are there for non-violent crimes. In total, 1 in every 31 U.S. citizens is behind bars or on probation or parole. End this travesty of justice NOW.
Why is this important?
As a physician, I have become aware of the terrible rate of incarceration and the ridiculous lengths of sentences - and the horrific human toll on prisoners and their families, as well as the monstrous waste of resources that could go to solving our nation's many problems, including the poverty, mental illness, and addiction illnesses that fuel the prison industrial complex. Please join me in calling for massive change in the way we think about and treat non-violent offenses.