Dear Letter Writing Coordinator, Our criminal justice system is deeply broken. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with over 2 million people imprisoned. This number has increased dramatically over the past 40 years due to changes in sentencing laws and policy, not changes in crime rates. Further, we know that the statistics, as sobering as they are, do not begin to show the devastating effects that mass incarceration has on the potential of each individual that will not be lived out, the families of the person convicted, and the community at large. The good news is that lawmakers recognize the need for reform. In February, the Smarter Sentencing Act (S. 502/H.R. 920) was reintroduced. This bill is a bipartisan solution that addresses the growing cost of our federal prison system and reduces some mandatory minimum sentences for low-level drug offenses. This bill makes incremental and important changes supported by both sides of the aisle by: • • • Reducing mandatory minimum sentences for certain non-violent drug offenses, and lowers the mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole for those convicted of a third drug offence. Making the Fair Sentencing Act Retroactive, addressing a long-standing racial injustice in crack cocaine sentences. Increasing Transparency and Accountability by requiring federal agencies to assemble and make public lists of all federal laws and regulations and the criminal penalties associated with them. This month, we’re asking Friends to write to their Members of Congress to support this bill (check the back of this letter to see if your members of Congress have already cosponsored). We believe the Smarter Sentencing Act is the first step of many that Congress will take to act on criminal justice reform, making now a key time to voice our support for this bipartisan, commonsense solution to bring equity and justice for all. Sincerely, Jim Cason 1 of 2 — 4/7/2015 Senate Cosponsors of the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2015 (S. 502): As of 4/6/2015 • • • • • • • • • • Richard Durbin (D-IL)* Ted Cruz (R-TX)* Patrick Leahy (D- VT)* Jeff Flake (R- AZ)* Corey Booker (D- NJ)* Rand Paul (R- KY)* Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)* Christopher Coons (D-DE)* Johnny Isakson (R- GA) David Perdue (R- GA) House Cosponsors of the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2015 (H.R. 920): As of 4/6/2015 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 of 2 (4/7/2015) Bobby Scott (D-VA-3)* John Conyers (D-MI-13)* Thomas Massie (R-KY-4)* Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29) Cedric Richmond (D-LA-9) Janice Schakowsky (D-IL-9) Doug Collins (R-GA-9) Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18) Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) Mark Pocan (D-WI-2) Gwen Moore (D-WI-4) Hank Johnson (D-GA-4) Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) Jared Polis (D-CO-2) Elijah Cummings (D-MD-7) Keith Ellison (D-MN-5) Theodore Deutch (D-FL-21) Mark Takano (D-CA-41) Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10) Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8) • • • • Mick Mulvaney (R-SC-5) Blake Farenthold (R-TX-27) Cynthia Lummis (R-WY-At Large) Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8) *= original cosponsor