[AicapAifap] State Advocacy News: Steps to Challenge Mass Incarceration
Alliance of Incarcerated Canadians/Foreigners in American Prisons
aicapaifap at lists.resist.ca
Sun Jun 9 11:04:08 PDT 2019
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STATE ADVOCACY NEWSLETTER
Many state legislatures are in the final days of session. The next
few months are an opportunity for community organizers and policy
advocates to reflect on recent successes and challenges in the
movement to end mass incarceration. Summer can also be a time to
deepen expertise, establish relationships with new coalition partners,
and plan for the next campaign.
Civic Study
Working to end life imprisonment requires deep study of the issue.
Talking with other advocates about the underlying causes will develop
a shared analysis and surface policy goals. Advocates might organize
discussion groups to dig into the history of life sentences and other
drivers of mass incarceration. Conversations might focus on the
history of your state’s truth-in-sentencing framework, prosecutorial
practices contributing to life sentences, or strategies to improve
parole. People challenging mass incarceration often need to come
together to discuss shared values that will undo the policies that
contributed to prison growth. Coalition Development
Advocates are often helped by regular interactions that can amplify
goals and leverage resources towards a common purpose. The next few
months are an opportunity to develop new relationships with
organizations and individuals motivated by shared goals. Organizing an
effective coalition can achieve wider reach than any one group can
attain. For example, Empower Missouri anchored the Smart Sentencing
Coalition that included All of Us or None, ACLU, Jewish Community
Relations Council, and Americans for Prosperity. The coalition worked
together in support of several priorities including sentencing reform.
Advocacy Planning
Getting ready for the next legislative cycle is an opportunity to
identify policy goals and determine practical actions. The planning
process can help determine targets and the best ways to persuade them
to address mass incarceration. Realistic advocacy plans acknowledge
resource constraints while prioritizing tactics that help achieve the
goal. For example, if your coalition has a small membership organizing
a protest may not work, but coordinating phone banking to legislative
targets might be achievable. In developing a plan, determine clear and
measurable actions that help achieve your advocacy priorities. Other
News
* Arizona – Policymakers advanced SB 1334,
the legislation limits the use of sentencing enhancements if the
defendant has no prior convictions. *
California – Assembly approved AB 32, a bill that would prohibit the
state’s prisons agency from establishing or renewing a contract with
a for profit prison company. * Colorado –
Lawmakers expanded voting to persons on parole with passage of HB
1266. As of 2016, more than 8,600 Coloradans were on parole.
* Delaware – The Senate approved SB 47, a measure
repealing drug sentencing enhancements in targeted geographic zones
known to exacerbate racial disparities. *
Illinois – Lawmakers advanced HB 1587, which authorizes probation as
an alternative sanction for qualifying offenses that would otherwise
result in a mandatory minimum. * Oklahoma –
Lawmakers approved HB 1269, which retroactively allows
reclassification of certain felonies to misdemeanors and authorizes
resentencing. Oklahoma voters previously approved a ballot measure
reclassifying qualifying felonies to misdemeanors, but HB 1269 makes
that change retroactive. * Oregon –
Legislature passed SB 1008, a measure that stops youth charged with a
violent crime from being convicted under the state’s mandatory
minimum sentencing structure, known as Measure 11.
* Nevada – The Senate voted out AB 183, which would phase out
private prisons by 2022. There are no current private prisons in
Nevada but the state does pay for 100 private beds in Arizona.
* Nevada – State lawmakers expanded the franchise
by approving AB 431, a measure that authorizes voting rights for
persons under parole supervision. * Kentucky
– The governor signed HB 299, a bill authorizing sentencing credits
for life skills program participation for qualifying offenses.
* Louisiana – House lawmakers passed HB 518,
legislation that eliminates nonviolent offenses from the habitual
offense statute. * Michigan – The governor
signed HB 4129, legislation establishing a parole process for the
medically frail. The new statutory framework codifies an early release
process for persons who qualify. * Missouri
– Lawmakers approved HB 192, a measure that allows qualifying
persons to have an earlier parole hearing. The bill requires the
parole board to evaluate those currently serving mandatory minimums to
decide if they should be released. *
Mississippi – Lawmakers opted out of the federal lifetime ban on
food and cash assistance for residents with felony drug convictions.
* Pennsylvania – SB 135 was introduced to
address life without parole as a sentencing option.
* Vermont – Lawmakers approved S. 112, a bill that establishes
an earned time policy resulting in sentence reductions for certain
offenses. The Legislature repealed the previous good time policy in
2005.
Want to discuss your 2019 advocacy plan for state criminal justice
reform? Contact Nicole at nporter at sentencingproject.org
Share This
The Sentencing Project
1705 DeSales Street NW 8th Floor | Washington, District of Columbia
20036
202-628-0871 | staff at sentencingproject.org
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.
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