The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
April 20, 2015
Re: Iowa faith leaders call for sentencing reform
Dear Senator Grassley:
As your constituents, and as leaders in our Iowa faith communities, we write to congratulate you on
your recent appointment as Chairman of the U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Committee and to offer our support
as you navigate the Committee’s important work to reform the nation’s criminal justice system.
Our ministries call us to comfort and serve those harmed by crime, support accountability,
rehabilitation, and restoration for those who offend and counsel families experiencing the painful
outcomes of crime. From this vantage point, we have come to recognize the need for fundamental
changes to the nation’s justice system and recognize that your leadership is critical to advancement.
We are encouraged by the recent bipartisan support for criminal justice reform in Washington, DC as
well as the array of legislation being proposed. The time has come for the Senate Judiciary Committee to
consider the various bipartisan bills, reach consensus and enact broad reforms that respect the dignity
of crime victims, limit disproportionate sentences particularly for drug offenses, and encourage
reintegration of people returning from prison and jails.
The federal criminal justice system should lead the nation in ensuring proportional and equitable
accountability for men and women within the criminal justice system. While few people are sentenced
federally for simple drug possession, we are greatly concerned that many federal prisoners are serving
disproportionately long sentences for drug offenses overall.
In 1986 when Congress passed the first Anti-Drug Abuse Act that created much of today’s mandatory
minimum sentences for drugs, it created the five-year mandatory minimum for what it called “serious”
traffickers or the managers of the retail level drug trade. The ten-year mandatory minimum was set for
“major” traffickers who were considered the manufacturers or the heads of organizations who are
responsible for creating and delivering very large quantities.1 Unfortunately, as time has passed the level
of culpability of the average federal drug defendant does not equate to these function levels first
described by Congress. Indeed, according to research from the U.S. Sentencing Commission that
analyzed drug trafficking cases sentenced in federal courts during fiscal year 2013, 93% of defendants
did not play a leadership or management role in their offense.2
1
United States Sentencing Commission, “Report to the Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy,” (2002) at
pg 6-7, available at: http://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/news/congressional-testimony-and-reports/drugtopics/200205-rtc-cocaine-sentencing-policy/200205_Cocaine_and_Federal_Sentencing_Policy.pdf.
2
Unite States Sentencing Commission, “2013 Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics” (2013) at Tbl. 40,
available at: http://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/annual-reports-andsourcebooks/2013/Table40.pdf.
We believe justice can be better served and proportionality restored by lowering penalties. The
unnecessarily lengthy incarceration of people with drug offenses has burdened the federal criminal
justice system and produced increasing costs that are unsustainable. The Bureau of Prisons consumes
over 25% of the Department of Justice’s budget which limits allocations for other important justice
programs, like services for victims, crime prevention, and re-entry programs. This portion of the federal
budget for prisons will continue to grow if significant reforms designed to curtail growth and reduce the
prison population are not enacted.
We join with people of faith across the country calling for change to the criminal justice system. And, we
urge you to lead in this effort by prioritizing the consideration and mark-up of important bipartisan
sentencing reform legislation currently pending in Congress.
Thank you for considering our concerns. If you have any questions or wish to discuss this issue further,
please contact Pastor Abraham Funchess at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Lynda Hommer, Adel
Rabbi David Wirtschafter, Ames Jewish Congregation, Ames
Ankeny
Lindsay Drake, Ankeny First United Methodist Church
The Rev. Dr. Timothy Olson
Rev. Lisa Parker, Resurrection Lutheran
Rev. Pamela Schroeder, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Pastor Alaire Willits, Boxholm
Cedar Falls
Rev. Darline Balm-Demmel, United Methodist Church
Dr. Michael Blackwell
Rev. Eva Cameron, Cedar Valley Unitarian Universalists
Rev. David Glenn-Burns, Threehouse: A Wesley Foundation
Rev. Susan Janzen, Cedar Falls Mennonite Church
Cedar Rapids
Marie Becker, Sisters of Mercy
Sister Mary Corkery, Sisters of Mercy
Sister Emily Devine, Sisters of Mercy
Sister Susan Dunnwald, Sisters of Mercy
Sister Annette Fialal, Sisters of Mercy
Sister Alice Maiers, Sisters of Mercy
Sister Margaret Weigel, Sisters of Mercy WMW
Clinton
Laura Anderson, Franciscan Peace Center
Sister Anne Martin Phelan, Sisters of St. Francis
Clive
Vionne Darsee, Friends of Iowa Women Prisoners
Karen Tisinger
Coralville
Lynn Calvert
Rev. Marlene Janssen, West Chester United Methodist Church
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Rabbi Jeff Portman, Agudas Achim Congregation
Davenport
Bishop Martin Amos, Diocese of Davenport
Rev. Rebecca David, United Church of Christ, Iowa Conference
Sister M. Johanna Rickl, Congregation of the Humility of Mary
Sister Dolores Schuh
Sister Mary Ann Vogel, Congregation of the Humility of Mary
Decorah
Rev. Michael F Blevins
Rev. James Dale
Cheri Lane
Des Moines
Jean Basinger, Justice Reform Consortium
Rev. Kathleen Clark, Church Women United
Rev. Katie Dawson, Immanuel United Methodist Church
Sister Marilyn Jean Hagedorn, Congregation of the Humility of Mary
Bishop Richard Pates, Diocese of Des Moines
Rev. William Poland
Rev. Sarai Rice
Connie Ryan Terrell, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa
Pastor Michael Schmidt, Grace Lutheran Church
Rev. Mark Young, Christ United Methodist Church, Douds
Dubuque
Sister Kathleen Carr
Sister Donard Collins, Sisters of Charity, BVM
Sister Mary Crimmin
Sister LaVerne Dolphin, Sisters of Charity, BVM
Dr. William Gregory, Clarke University
Teresa Hadro
Sister Brigid Mary Hart
Sister C Jean Hayen, Sisters of Charity, BVM
Sister Florence Heflin, Sisters of Charity, BVM
Sister Kate Hendel, Sisters of Charity, BVM
Pastor Kayla Lange
Sister Mary Martens
Sister Sara McAlpin
Sister Mira Mosle
Sister Mary Thea O'Meara
Sister Joy Peterson
Sister Diane Rapozo, Sisters of Charity, BVM
Sister Paulette Skiba, Clarke University; Sister of Charity, BVM
Pastor Linda VonFumetti, Rockdale United Methodist Church
Dysart
Rev. Linda Butler, Dysart United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Jim Davis, Dysart United Methodist
Sister JoAnn O'Connell, Evansdale
Pastor Paul Stone, Church of the Damascus Road, Fort Dodge
Rev. Diane Eberhart, Grinnell
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Rev. Doresa Collogan, Holstein United Methodist Church, Holstein
Rev. Karen Dungan, Iowa Annual Conference, Indianola
Iowa City
Bishop Michael Burk, Southeastern Iowa Synod Assembly
John Halder
Dr. Nyle Kauffman, East Union Mennonite Church
Sister Rose Kucera
Dr. Samuel Massey, First Presbyterian Church
Elizabeth Michael, Sharon Center United Methodist
Rev Karla Stoltzfus Detweiler, First Mennonite Church
Rev. Dr. Dorothy Whiston, First Baptist Church
Jefferson
Nick Blackburn
Tammy Ganoe
Pastor Lynn Gunderson, First United Methodist Church
Rev. Julia Poulsen, First United Methodist Church
Adrienne Smith
Jean A. Tucker
Johnston
Rev. David Shogren, First United Methodist Church, Ames
Sister Karen Yarkosky, Sisters of Mercy
Rev. William Ballard, Iowa Conference United Methodist Church, Lacona
Melanie Greengo, Lime Springs United Methodist Church, Lime Springs
Rev. Dr. William Daylong, United Methodist Church of Mt. Vernon, Marion
Marshalltown
Sister Sheila Geraghty, Sisters of Mercy
Dr. Shiela Kielly, Associate of Mercy
Rev. Walden Paige, Hope United Methodist Church
Pastor Jeffrey A McPheron, Trenton and Wesley Chapel United Methodist Churches, Mount Pleasant
Rev. Marsha Acord, Mt. Vernon
Sister Vicky Arndorfer, Sisters of Mercy, New Hampton
Dan Kingery, Prison Fellowship, Newton
Bishop Julius Trimble, Iowa Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Norwalk
Pastor Christine Cowan, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ogden
B Kay Oliver, Oakwood United Methodist Church, Pleasant Hill
Pastor Joy Gonnerman, St. Peter Lutheran Church, Pocahontas
Rev. Lee Schott, Women at the Well United Methodist Church, Prairie City
Storm Lake
Dr. Melanie Hauser, Women at the Well United Methodist Church
Cynthia Wells, Western Iowa Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
Pastor Paul Frederiksen, Tipton
Urbandale
Dr. Mary Fraser, United Methodist Church
Rev. Gary Nims
Sister Sandra Rodemyer
Washington
Pastor Amanda Beachy
Pastor-Retired Roger Farmer, Central Plains Mennonite Conference
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Mary Martin, Washington Mennonite Church
Waterloo
Pastor Belinda Creighton-Smith
Pastor Abraham Funchess, Jubilee United Methodist Church
Pastor Marvin Jenkins, Union Baptist
Pastor Chassidi Martin, Harvest Vineyard Church
Rev. Nate Nims, Waterloo First United Methodist Church
Pastor William Perkins
Rev. Dick Clark, Walnut Hills United Methodist, Waukee
Wellman
Edie Hochstetler, Mennonite Church
Rev. Shana Peachey Boshart, Central Plains Mennonite Conference
Holly Yoder, Central Plains Mennonite Conference
Elder Chair David Sickles, Mennonite Church, West Branch
West Des Moines
Eleanor Bidler
Rev. Carlos Jayne, Grace United Methodist Church
The Rev. Daniel Kuckuck, St. Stephen Lutheran Church
Janet Rosenbury
Rev. Brigit Stevens, Iowa Conference United Church of Christ
Windsor Heights
Rev. Brian Carter, Aldersgate United Methodist Church
Rev. Sarah Garriott
Rev Deanna Snyder, United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Beverlee Bell, Winterset United Methodist, Winterset
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