The Sentencing Project: Difference between revisions
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{{Advert|date=March 2018}} |
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{{Infobox |
{{Infobox organization |
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|name |
| name = The Sentencing Project |
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| image = The Sentencing Project logo.png |
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|abbreviation = TSP |
| abbreviation = TSP |
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|formation |
| formation = {{start date and age|1986}} |
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|extinction |
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|type |
| type = Advocacy group |
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|status |
| status = Active |
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|purpose |
| purpose = Changing the way Americans think about crime and punishment. |
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|headquarters = [[Washington, District of Columbia]] |
| headquarters = [[Washington, District of Columbia]] |
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|membership |
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|leader_title = Executive Director |
| leader_title = Executive Director |
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| leader_name = [[Kara Gotsch]] |
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| website = {{Official URL}} |
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|website = http://www.sentencingproject.org/ |
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The '''Sentencing Project''' is a [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], [[Washington, D.C.|D.C]].–based research and advocacy centre working for [[decarceration in the United States]] and seeking to address [[Race in the United States criminal justice system|racial disparities]] in the [[criminal justice system]]. The organisation produces [[Nonpartisanism|nonpartisan]] reports and research for use by state and federal policymakers, administrators, and journalists. |
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Established as a national non-profit [[501(c)3]] organization in 1986, '''The Sentencing Project''' works for a fair and effective U.S. criminal justice system by promoting change in sentencing policy, addressing unjust [[Race and crime in the United States|racial disparities]] and practices, and advocating for [[alternatives to incarceration]]. |
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The Sentencing Project was founded to provide defense lawyers with sentencing advocacy training and to reduce the reliance on incarceration. Since that time, The Sentencing Project has become a leader in the effort to bring national attention to disturbing trends and inequities in the criminal justice system with a successful formula that includes the publication of groundbreaking research, aggressive media campaigns strategic advocacy for policy reform. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The Sentencing Project grew out of pilot programs established by |
The Sentencing Project grew out of pilot programs established by lawyer Malcolm C. Young in the early 1980s. In 1981, Young became the director of a project of the [[National Legal Aid & Defender Association]] (NLADA) designed to establish defence-based sentencing advocacy programs. In 1986, Young incorporated The Sentencing Project as an independent organisation to continue NLADA's program of training and development work. In the late 1980s, The Sentencing Project became engaged in research and public education on a broad range of criminal justice policy issues. |
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==Advocacy== |
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In 1986, Young incorporated The Sentencing Project as an independent organization to continue the program training and development work. Through the mid-1990s The Sentencing Project provided training and technical assistance in sentencing advocacy to programs in more than 20 states. Beginning in the late 1980s, The Sentencing Project became engaged in research and public education on a broad range of criminal justice policy issues. The organization is now considered a premier source of information and analysis, and serves as a resource for policymakers, academics, advocacy organizations, and media. The advocacy campaigns of The Sentencing Project have successfully contributed to significant sentencing and drug policy reforms at both the federal and state level. In 2005, long-time assistant director [[Marc Mauer]] became the executive director of The Sentencing Project. |
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The Sentencing Project works with other organisations and public officials to influence criminal justice policies at the federal, state, and local level. The Sentencing Project was part of a national coalition supporting the bipartisan [[Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act]] in the [[114th United States Congress|114th Congress]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.coalitionforpublicsafety.org/|title=Coalition for Public Safety|language=en-US}}</ref> The organisation's executive director testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the legislation.<ref>[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/10-19-15%20Mauer%20Testimony.pdf "Testimony of Marc Mauer Executive Director The Sentencing Project Before the Senate Judiciary Committee On the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015"], October 19, 2015.</ref> |
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In 2010, The Sentencing Project contributed to the passage of the [[Fair Sentencing Act]], which reduced the disparities in sentences associated with convictions for possessing or trafficking in [[crack cocaine]] compared to [[powder cocaine]].<ref>[http://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Federal-Crack-Cocaine-Sentencing.pdf "Federal Crack Cocaine Sentencing"], January 2016.</ref> Representatives of the organisation have often testified before Congress, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the [[United States Commission on Civil Rights|U.S. Commission on Civil Rights]], and other government and scholarly meetings. |
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==Accomplishments== |
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'''Training and Program Development''' |
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The Sentencing Project provided technical assistance in program development and skills training for hundreds of staff engaged in defense-based sentencing advocacy for a period of 15 years beginning in 1986. This included annual conferences on sentencing advocacy beginning in 1989 and the formation of the National Association of Sentencing Advocates (NASA) in 1992. NASA functioned under the auspices of The Sentencing Project and served as a professional leadership and development association of staff engaged in sentencing advocacy and death penalty mitigation programs.<ref>[http://www.nlada.org/Defender/Defender_NASAMS/about_nasams/about_history History of Defense-Based Sentencing Advocacy and NASAMS]</ref> |
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== Research == |
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In 2016, The Sentencing Project was active in the national debate about racial and ethnic disparities in arrests, sentencing and incarceration, and has monitored and reported on the denial of [[Suffrage|voting rights]] to individuals with felony convictions. It consistently criticises what it considers the ineffectiveness and excessive public expense associated with mass incarceration and extended prison terms. |
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The Sentencing Project has produced a broad range of policy reports that have documented issues and trends in the U.S. justice system, and which have helped to shape public policy debate on key issues. These have included: |
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* ''Young Black Men and the Criminal Justice System: A Growing National Problem'' (1990) – a report that documented that nearly one in four African American males in the age group 20-29 was under some form of criminal justice supervision<ref>[http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED336442.pdf Young Black Men and the Criminal Justice System: A Growing National Problem]</ref> |
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* ''Americans Behind Bars: A Comparison of International Rates of Incarceration'' (1991) – a report that showed that the United States had become the world leader in its use of incarceration<ref>[https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=129454 Americans Behind Bars: A Comparison of International Rates of Incarceration]</ref> |
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* ''Young Black Americans and the Criminal Justice System: Five Years Later'' (1995) – a report demonstrating that the proportion of African American males ages 20-29 under criminal justice supervision was approaching one in three<ref>[http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/rd_youngblack_5yrslater.pdf Young Black Americans and the Criminal Justice System: Five Years Later]</ref> |
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* ''Losing the Vote: The Impact of Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the United States'' (with Human Rights Watch, 1998) – a national assessment finding that four million Americans were prohibited from voting due to a current or previous felony conviction<ref>[http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/File/FVR/fd_losingthevote.pdf Losing the Vote: The Impact of Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the United States]</ref> |
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* ''Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: A Manual for Practitioners and Policymakers'' – a guide to analyzing and responding to racial disparities at each stage of the criminal justice process<ref>[http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/rd_reducingracialdisparity.pdf Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System: A Manual for Practitioners and Policymakers]</ref> |
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* ''Distorted Priorities: Drug Offenders in State Prisons'' (2002) – an analysis demonstrating that a majority of drug offenders in state prisons had no history of violence and were not high-level players in the drug trade<ref>[http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/dp_distortedpriorities.pdf Distorted Priorities: Drug Offenders in State Prisons]</ref> |
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* ''No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America'' (2009) – a report finding that one of every eleven persons in prison was serving a life sentence, more than 140,000 individuals<ref>[http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/publications/inc_noexitseptember2009.pdf No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America]</ref> |
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* ''The Lives of Juvenile Lifers: Findings from a National Survey'' (2012) – the first national survey of such persons, documenting high rates of social disadvantage and racial disparities in the imposition of these punishments<ref>[http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/jj_The_Lives_of_Juvenile_Lifers.pdf The Lives of Juvenile Lifers: Findings from a National Survey]</ref> |
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In 2016, the organisation produced a state-by-state breakdown on the [[Disfranchisement|disenfranchisement]] of citizens convicted of [[Felony|felonies]] entitled ''Six Million Lost Voters''. It documented 6.1 million potential voters, including more than 4 million who had long since completed their sentences, unable to participate because of state laws disenfranchising them. [[Florida]], a perennial swing state, led the country with 1.5 million people convicted of felonies who could not vote. <ref>{{Cite web |title=6 Million Lost Voters: State-Level Estimates of Felony Disenfranchisement, 2016 |url=https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/6-million-lost-voters-state-level-estimates-felony-disenfranchisement-2016/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=The Sentencing Project |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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The Sentencing Project also produces a range of briefing papers, fact sheets, and policy analyses on a regular basis. An annual report, ''The State of Sentencing'', provides an overview of legislative measures adopted around the nation, and staff frequently contribute to academic and professional journals as well.<ref>[http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/publications/sen_State_of_Sentencing_2011.pdf The State of Sentencing 2011: Developments in Policy and Practice]</ref> |
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Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project, has published two books. ''Race to Incarcerate'', first published in 1999, traces the evolution of the explosion in the prison population in recent decades, and was a semi-finalist for the [[Robert F. Kennedy Book Award]]. A second edition was published in 2006, and a graphic novel version was published in 2013.<ref>[http://thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1198 The New Press - ''Race to Incarcerate'']</ref> With co-editor [[Meda Chesney-Lind]], Mauer also published ''Invisible Punishment: The Collateral Consequences of Mass Imprisonment'' (2002), a collection of essays that examine the effects of imprisonment on families and communities.<ref>[http://thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1122 The New Press - ''Invisible Punishment: The Collateral Consequences of Mass Imprisonment'']</ref> |
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In recent years, The Sentencing Project has published reports and research on [[Mandatory sentencing|mandatory minimum sentences]] and their impact on [[judicial discretion]]; the increased reliance in the courts on [[Life imprisonment|life sentences]], often without opportunities for [[parole]]; prison closures and repurposing; the impact of racial perceptions in criminal justice policy; the [[war on drugs]] and its collateral consequences; [[Juvenile court|juvenile justice]] issues; [[Incarceration of women|women in prison]]; the children of prisoners and the long-term social impact of mass incarceration policies.<ref>[http://nicic.gov/library/025906 To Build a Better Criminal Justice System: 25 Experts Envision the Next 25 Years of Reform] |
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In celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Sentencing Project in 2011, the organization published a collection of essays, ''To Build a Better Criminal Justice System: 25 Experts Envision the Next 25 Years of Reform''. The publication features contributions from leading scholars, practitioners, and reform advocates.<ref>[http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/sen_25_eassys.pdf To Build a Better Criminal Justice System: 25 Experts Envision the Next 25 Years of Reform]</ref> |
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</ref> |
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== |
== Leadership == |
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[[Marc Mauer]] has been the executive director of The Sentencing Project since 2005. He has authored a number of books, articles, and studies about the criminal justice system. [[University of Pittsburgh School of Law]] professor David Harris called Mauer "the go-to guy for any major media organization or any legislative body that wants the truth on what's been happening with our prisons and our jails ... His testimony to the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]] in October 2015 ... should be required reading for every public official in this country."<ref>[https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/criminal-in-justice/id1094352910?mt=2 How bail traps the poor] (episode 27) |
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The Sentencing Project has long been engaged in advocating for criminal justice and juvenile justice reform, including legislative advocacy, public education, and engagement with practitioners. At the federal level, highlights have included contributing to the adoption of the [[Fair Sentencing Act of 2010]], which reduced the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses, and changes to the federal sentencing guidelines which reduced crack cocaine offense levels as well. Staff of The Sentencing Project have are frequently invited to testify before Congress, the [[United States Sentencing Commission]], [[U.S. Commission on Civil Rights]], and other agencies. |
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</ref> |
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The Sentencing Project is governed by a 10-member board of lawyers, academics, and practitioners, chaired by [[American University]] law professor [[Cynthia E. Jones]].<ref>[https://www.wcl.american.edu/faculty/jones/ Cynthia Jones] |
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In the area of juvenile justice The Sentencing Project has been engaged in efforts to strengthen and enhance the mandate of the [[Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act]], including approaches to reducing racial disparity in detention. The organization has also played a leading role in campaigns to end the practice of sentencing juveniles to life without parole, and submitted an amicus brief which was cited by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in its 2010 decision in ''[[Graham v. Florida]]'' that barred such penalties in non-homicide offenses.<ref>[http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-7412.pdf U.S. Supreme Court - ''Graham v. Florida'']</ref> |
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</ref> |
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==See also== |
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Support for reform at the state level has included engagement with policymakers and reform organizations on issues including sentencing policy, racial disparity, [[felony disenfranchisement]], and juvenile justice. As documented by The Sentencing Project in ''Expanding the Vote: State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform, 1997-2010'', 23 states enacted reforms to their disenfranchisement policies and practices between 1997 – 2010.<ref>[http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/publications/vr_ExpandingtheVoteFinalAddendum.pdf Expanding the Vote: State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform, 1997-2010]</ref> The organization has also championed the concept of racial impact statements that can allow policymakers to project any undue racial effects of proposed sentencing legislation. In 2008, the states of Connecticut and Iowa each adopted such legislation, and in 2013, Oregon did so as well.<ref>[http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/rd_abaarticle.pdf Racial Impact Statements: Changing Policies to Address Disparities]</ref> |
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* [[Felony disenfranchisement in the United States]] |
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==References== |
== References == |
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{{ |
{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.sentencingproject.org |
* [http://www.sentencingproject.org Official website] |
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{{authority control}} |
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[[Category:Sentencing (law)|Project]] |
[[Category:Sentencing (law)|Project]] |
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[[Category:501(c)(3) |
[[Category:501(c)(3) organizations]] |
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[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.]] |
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.]] |
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[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]] |
[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]] |
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[[Category:Criminal justice reform]] |
[[Category:Criminal justice reform in the United States]] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sentencing_Project}} |
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Latest revision as of 00:28, 30 October 2024
 | This article contains promotional content. (March 2018) |
 | |
| Abbreviation | TSP |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1986 |
| Type | Advocacy group |
| Legal status | Active |
| Purpose | Changing the way Americans think about crime and punishment. |
| Headquarters | Washington, District of Columbia |
Executive Director | Kara Gotsch |
| Website | www |
The Sentencing Project is a Washington, D.C.–based research and advocacy centre working for decarceration in the United States and seeking to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The organisation produces nonpartisan reports and research for use by state and federal policymakers, administrators, and journalists.
History
[edit]The Sentencing Project grew out of pilot programs established by lawyer Malcolm C. Young in the early 1980s. In 1981, Young became the director of a project of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) designed to establish defence-based sentencing advocacy programs. In 1986, Young incorporated The Sentencing Project as an independent organisation to continue NLADA's program of training and development work. In the late 1980s, The Sentencing Project became engaged in research and public education on a broad range of criminal justice policy issues.
Advocacy
[edit]The Sentencing Project works with other organisations and public officials to influence criminal justice policies at the federal, state, and local level. The Sentencing Project was part of a national coalition supporting the bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act in the 114th Congress.[1] The organisation's executive director testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the legislation.[2]
In 2010, The Sentencing Project contributed to the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the disparities in sentences associated with convictions for possessing or trafficking in crack cocaine compared to powder cocaine.[3] Representatives of the organisation have often testified before Congress, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and other government and scholarly meetings.
Research
[edit]In 2016, The Sentencing Project was active in the national debate about racial and ethnic disparities in arrests, sentencing and incarceration, and has monitored and reported on the denial of voting rights to individuals with felony convictions. It consistently criticises what it considers the ineffectiveness and excessive public expense associated with mass incarceration and extended prison terms.
In 2016, the organisation produced a state-by-state breakdown on the disenfranchisement of citizens convicted of felonies entitled Six Million Lost Voters. It documented 6.1 million potential voters, including more than 4 million who had long since completed their sentences, unable to participate because of state laws disenfranchising them. Florida, a perennial swing state, led the country with 1.5 million people convicted of felonies who could not vote. [4]
In recent years, The Sentencing Project has published reports and research on mandatory minimum sentences and their impact on judicial discretion; the increased reliance in the courts on life sentences, often without opportunities for parole; prison closures and repurposing; the impact of racial perceptions in criminal justice policy; the war on drugs and its collateral consequences; juvenile justice issues; women in prison; the children of prisoners and the long-term social impact of mass incarceration policies.[5]
Leadership
[edit]Marc Mauer has been the executive director of The Sentencing Project since 2005. He has authored a number of books, articles, and studies about the criminal justice system. University of Pittsburgh School of Law professor David Harris called Mauer "the go-to guy for any major media organization or any legislative body that wants the truth on what's been happening with our prisons and our jails ... His testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in October 2015 ... should be required reading for every public official in this country."[6]
The Sentencing Project is governed by a 10-member board of lawyers, academics, and practitioners, chaired by American University law professor Cynthia E. Jones.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Coalition for Public Safety".
- ^ "Testimony of Marc Mauer Executive Director The Sentencing Project Before the Senate Judiciary Committee On the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015", October 19, 2015.
- ^ "Federal Crack Cocaine Sentencing", January 2016.
- ^ "6 Million Lost Voters: State-Level Estimates of Felony Disenfranchisement, 2016". The Sentencing Project. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ^ To Build a Better Criminal Justice System: 25 Experts Envision the Next 25 Years of Reform
- ^ How bail traps the poor (episode 27)
- ^ Cynthia Jones