FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Charles Thomas, Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative executive director,
301-938-1577 or Zoe Mitchell 202-253-2990
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Spokespersons for several of the nation’s
largest religious organizations gathered on Capitol Hill on Tuesday
morning to call for the repeal of federal mandatory sentencing
laws, thereby restoring sentencing discretion to judges on a case-by-case
basis. This groundbreaking news conference coincided with two
timely developments in Congress: U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters’
introduction of a new bill (H.R. 5103) to repeal mandatory minimum
sentencing laws and this Thursday’s mark-up of U.S. Rep.
Sensenbrenner’s conflicting bill (H.R. 4547) to create new
mandatory sentences for various drug offenses.
The National Council of Churches, United Methodist Church,
Progressive National Baptist Convention, United Church of Christ,
Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Church
of the Brethren Witness sent spokespersons to the Rayburn
House Office Building to present their denominations’ official
positions denouncing mandatory sentencing laws. The Evangelical
Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Episcopal
Church, and the Union for Reform Judaism also
oppose mandatory sentencing laws but were unable to attend. (These
groups’ policy statements are available from IDPI upon request.)
In addition, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB) is on record in opposition to mandatory minimum sentencing
laws, although they did not attend because they have not yet taken
a position on H.R. 5103 or H.R. 4547. The USCCB's November 15,
2000 criminal justice policy statement includes the recommendation,
“We must renew our efforts to ensure that the punishment
fits the crime. Therefore, we do not support mandatory sentencing
that replaces judges’ assessments with rigid formulations.”
“The nation’s leading religious organizations clearly
recognize that mandatory sentencing laws are unjust and ineffective,”
said Charles Thomas, executive director of the national Interfaith
Drug Policy Initiative. “No denominations are known to support
mandatory minimum sentencing. Can you think of any other issue
on which the moral choice is so clear? Congress must defeat Rep.
Sensenbrenner’s bill and pass Rep. Waters’ bill. It’s
time to put on the brakes and turn toward justice and compassion.”
Other participants in the news conference included: Rev.
Julius Hope, NAACP’s Religious Affairs director;
Rev. Dr. Michael Bell, National Association of Blacks in Criminal
Justice; Kasaundra Lomax, whose mother, Hamedah Hasan, is serving
a 26-year mandatory federal sentence for a minor role in a drug
distribution conspiracy; and Rev. Melissa Mummert, who is producing
a documentary about Hasan.
Background:
During the 1980s, Congress and many state legislatures passed
laws forcing judges to give long, fixed prison terms to people
convicted of certain drug crimes (including non-violent offenders).
As a result, the U.S. is the world’s leading incarcerator,
with more than two million people behind bars. In fact, 60 percent
of federal prisoners are drug offenders. These laws disproportionately
affect people of color: African-Americans comprise 15 percent
of the nation’s illegal drug users but 74 percent of those
sentenced to prison for drug offenses.
Interfaith
Drug
Policy Initiative, P.O.
Box 6299, Washington, D.C. 20015
Phone: 301-933-7681 Fax:301-933-7682 |
