May 15, 2016
Friends,
The tides are turning in favor of sentencing reform,
but there are crucial bills to be passed in Congress. The window to change
sentencing laws this year is closing fast.
The changes these bills would make to our criminal
justice system won’t fix all its problems. But passing these bills positions us
to move further reform. Moreover,
thousands -- potentially tens of thousands -- of lives would benefit, and that
doesn’t count their families, friends, congregations, communities. Congress can
get this done right now.
By writing your federal senator and representative
you can ask for action on these important bills.
Senate
addresses:
Senator Edward Markey
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
District of Columbia 20510
Senator Elizabeth Warren
317 Hart Senate Office Building,
District of Columbia 20510
Senate talking
points:
Please help bring the Sentencing Reform and
Corrections Act (S.2123) to the Senate floor. I hope you will cosponsor and
pass this critical legislation.
●
Disproportionately long prison sentences
for certain crimes have created a system of mass incarceration that unfairly
impacts poor communities and people of color.
●
Laws that prevent successful re-entry into
civilian life extend this destructive impact beyond the term of the sentence.
●
The Sentencing Reform and Corrections
Act is a first step to reduce several lengthy mandatory minimum sentences, give
judges more discretion, and lower the population in federal prisons.
House addresses:
Representative Jim McGovern
438 Cannon House Office Building,
District of Columbia 20515-2102
House talking
points:
Please help bring the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015
(H.R. 3713) and the Recidivism Risk Reduction Act (H.R. 759) House floor. I
hope you will cosponsor and pass this critical package of legislation.
●
Disproportionately long prison sentences
for certain crimes have created a system of mass incarceration that unfairly
impacts poor communities and people of color.
●
Laws that prevent successful re-entry
into civilian life extends the unfairness well after the
sentence has been served.
●
These bills together reduce several
lengthy mandatory minimum sentences, give judges more discretion, and lower the
population in federal prisons.
Closing:
Sincerely,
Your Name
Address
Optional: email
Optional: phone