To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Urge Congress to End Mass Incarceration
Urge Congress to support the Justice Safety Valve in the Senate, and HR 62 in the House, as well as introducing and passing the Barber amendment. The first allows for more appropriate sentencing, the third offers the possibility of increased earned "good time" and HR 62 offers additional good time relief for inmates 45 and older. We need to be smarter on crime, look to alternative sentencing, and end mass incarceration.
Why is this important?
It is time to end mass incarceration in The United States. Our federal prison system is 39% over capacity, filled with non-violent offenders who make up more than half that population, many of whom are serving longer sentences than if they had committed a violent crime. And there is no parole on the federal level. The United States spends more money on prisons than on education, and we incarcerate more of our population than any other developed nation.
Individual states have begun to realize, and prove, that by decreasing their prison populations and allocating funds for crime prevention, that crime is reduced. Fewer people in prison can actually equal less crime. Tell Congress to be smarter on crime, and end mass incarceration now.
Update - There is now a Justice Safety Valve Bill in the House, making it bi-partisan, and the House Judiciary committee has created a bi-partisan task force on overcriminalization on the federal level. We have to let our Senators and Representatives know that they are moving in the right direction, and that more needs to be done, and sooner rather than later.