Our justice system over-criminalizes and over-punishes, leading to excessive arrests, disproportionately harsh sentences, and racial disparities. Reducing the reach of the criminal justice system is vital for restoring balance within our criminal laws, significantly reducing excessive sentences, and addressing racial disparities.

That’s why we support:

• Reclassifying nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors where appropriate to break the cycle of incarceration for individuals charged with low-level offenses, creating pathways for rehabilitation rather than punishment
• Eliminating the crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity that disproportionately affects low-income communities of color
• Eliminating predatory justice-system related fines and fees that undermine public safety efforts and strain community trust in law enforcement
• Reforming mandatory minimum laws to grant judges greater discretion in determining appropriate sentences for individual cases
• Reforming “three strikes you’re out” and “truth-in-sentencing” laws from being overly punitive and imposing excessively long sentences
• Reforming supervision so that it supports successful reentry rather than fostering cycles of reincarceration and recidivism