[AicapAifap] US Sentencing Project

[Alliance of Incarcerated Canadians/Foreigners in American Prisons]

	 Dear aicap,  

	 In June, we alerted you that the House of Representatives was
considering the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (commonly known as
the Farm Bill) that included an amendment to permanently bar people
with certain criminal records from receiving food stamps—creating
more barriers for people trying to reintegrate into society. Within 24
hours, over 400 of you contacted your representative urging them to
oppose this measure. Thank you! Unfortunately, the House did pass the
legislation by a vote of 213 to 211, but the Senate version of the
bill does not include the ban. We will keep you updated over the next
several weeks as the chambers work to reconcile the bills.  

	 Below are other important resources I want to bring to your
attention:                        

                        	* Felony Disenfranchisement Litigation –
Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled that Florida’s process for
restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions was
unconstitutional. The state appealed the ruling and the appellate
court will hear arguments on July 25th. The Sentencing Project filed
an amicus brief underscoring the punitive and arbitrary nature of the
restoration process, and contending that disenfranchisement is
counterproductive to effective reentry.
                           	* Life With Parole Litigation – We also
filed an amicus brief in support of Jacob Davis, who is serving a
life-with-parole sentence in Tennessee for a homicide committed at the
age of 18. Because Tennessee requires individuals to serve 51 years in
prison before a first parole hearing, Davis argues that his sentence
is effectively life without parole. The Sentencing Project provided
expert testimony in the case in addition to our amicus, noting that
Tennessee has the longest mandatory minimum sentence for a
parole-eligible life sentences, and that Davis is unlikely to live
long enough to appear at his first parole hearing, scheduled for 2049.
                           	* Trends In U.S. Corrections – We’ve
also recently updated our graphic overview of key criminal justice
data, Trends in U.S. Corrections. This fact sheet provides information
on incarceration, drug policy, race and ethnicity, gender, felony
disenfranchisement and other trends over the past several decades.    
                   
	 I hope you find this information useful in your work.  

	 Sincerely,                     
	 Marc Mauer
 Executive Director 
 The Sentencing Project works for a fair and effective U.S. justice
system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust
racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to
incarceration.  
	 The Sentencing Project
 1705 DeSales Street NW
 8th Floor
 Washington, District of Columbia 20036
 202-628-0871
 staff at sentencingproject.org 
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