On this edition of Your Call, we’ll discuss progress and next steps in criminal justice reform.
The First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill, was signed into law at the end of the year. It eases some minimum sentencing requirements including the “three strikes” rule. What is this changing for incarcerated people, and what else is needed to fix our criminal justice system, which costs $182 billion a year?
Guests:
Jessica Jackson, attorney representing death row inmates and co-founder of #Cut50
Topeka Sam, founder and executive director of The Ladies of Hope Ministries and co-founder of Hope House NYC
Molly Gill, vice president of policy for Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Web Resources:
Vox: The First Step Act, Congress’s criminal justice reform bill, explained
The Hill: The FIRST STEP Act will bring real justice to thousands of incarcerated women
USA Today: Matthew Charles, forced to return to prison after judge ordered his release, will get out