Criminal Justice Reform

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore. 

At 716 per 100,000 of the population, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, holding 25% of the world’s prisoners. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2013, 37% of male inmates in state or federal prison were African Americans, while 22% were Hispanics.

President Richard Milhous Nixon started the “War on Drugs” which cracked down on drug possession, distribution, and use. Between 1985 and 2010, the number of incarcerated drug-offenders has increased from 41,000 to 500,000, making up 50.7% of sentenced prisoners under custody of the federal government, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. (Read more).

Earlier this year, Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey introduced the bipartisan REDEEM Act. According to the bill sponsors the act accomplishes several things:

• Offers adults way to seal non-violent criminal records.
• Incentivizes states to increase the age of criminal responsibility to 18-years-old.
• Allows for sealing and expungement of juvenile records.
• Restricts use of juvenile solitary confinement.
• Lifts ban on SNAP and TANF benefits for low-level drug offenders.

According to Senator Paul:

“The biggest impediment to civil rights and employment in our country is a criminal record. Our current system is broken and has trapped tens of thousands of young men and women in a cycle of poverty and incarceration. Many of these young people could escape this trap if criminal justice were reformed, if records were expunged after time served, and if non-violent crimes did not become a permanent blot preventing employment.”

On POPVOX, we’re highlighting several bills related to criminal justice reform, including bills dealing with issues such as civil asset forfeiture and marijuana. Weigh in on these bills and we’ll deliver your messages to Congress guarantee!

• REDEEM Act (S 2567): 

  (Also HR 5158 in the House) –Bipartisan– A bill to provide for the sealing or expungement of records relating to Federal nonviolent criminal offenses.

• Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (HR 5212):

  —Bipartisan— Would "raise the level of proof necessary for the government to seize property; restore the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' by placing the burden on the government to prove a property owner had knowledge of criminal activity Increase transparency of civil forfeiture proceeds; restrict the use of equitable sharing agreements between DOJ and local/state law enforcement agencies that infringe upon state laws," according to the bill sponsor.

• Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act (S 2644):

  "Would change federal law and protect the rights of property owners by requiring that the government prove its case with clear and convincing evidence before forfeiting seized property," according to the bill sponsor. "Would remove the profit incentive for forfeiture by redirecting forfeitures assets from the Attorney General's Asset Forfeiture Fund to the Treasury's General Fund."

• Charlotte’s Web Medical Hemp Act (HR 5226):

  —Bipartisan— Would "ensure that children and individuals with epilepsy and other debilitating seizure disorders have access to life-changing Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil and therapeutic hemp." According to the bill sponsor, this legislation "in no way federally legalizes the recreational use of marijuana, nor is CBD marijuana; rather, the bill is an incremental approach to providing relief to those suffering from ailments that could benefit from CBD oil and therapeutic hemp." It also doesn’t legalize all forms of marijuana for medical use. It removes CBD oil and therapeutic hemp from the federal definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. Therapeutic hemp is defined as having no more than .3% THC, which means it has no hallucinogenic effects of traditional marijuana.

• Solitary Confinement Study and Reform Act (HR 4618):

  To develop and implement national standards for the use of solitary confinement in the Nation’s prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities.

• The Protecting Youth From Solitary Confinement Act (HR 4124):

  To amend title 18, United States Code, to ensure that juveniles adjudicated in Federal delinquency proceedings are not subject to solitary confinement while committed to juvenile facilities.

• The Prohibiting Detention of Youth Status Offenders Act (HR 4123):

  (Also S 2874 in the Senate) According to the bill sponsor, the bill will “will keep American children out of jail for “status offenses,” offenses that would not be judicial issues if the offender were not a juvenile. This includes “offenses” like breaking curfew, running away from home or skipping school.”

• Justice Integrity Act (HR 3907):

  According to the bill sponsors, the bill will “create a pilot program to examine racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system and develop solutions to this injustice. Over the past 30 years while working directly with the people of Memphis and the 9th District, I have spoken to many people in the African-American community regarding their deep misgivings about the fairness of the criminal justice system. I believe the Justice Integrity Act can begin the process of mending fences between law enforcement and minorities and increasing public confidence in the justice system.”

• Federal Prison Reform Act of 2013 (S 1783):

  “Requires the Department of Justice to use existing funds to develop and implement recidivism reduction programming (drug rehabilitation, education, skills training, work programs, etc.) for 100% of eligible federal prisoners within 5 years,” according to the bill sponsor.

Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.