Stand Up For Sane Juvenile Justice Policy: Oppose S. 1735

Greetings,

We know what works in fighting gangs: stronger community policing, more and better-funded youth intervention programs, and opportunities in education and employment.

We also know what doesn't work: harsh, punitive, sweepingly broad laws that do not deter crime and give prosecutors the greenlight to incarcerate more and more youth in adult prisons.

Senator Feinstein and Senator Hatch have just introduced such a measure, S. 1735, the "Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act," which sends more juveniles to adult prisons, increases sentences, creates broad new definitions for numerous crimes, and expands the use of the death penalty. Noted gang reformer Father Gregory Boyle has spoken out strongly against it, saying a more honest name for the bill would be the "Gang Fear Pandering Act."

Take Action now to oppose this bill!



Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Senator Dianne Feinstein (if you live in California)

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: I Oppose S. 1735

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I oppose your bill, S. 1735. It creates new, ill-defined crimes, which could increase wrongful convictions. It creates new "gang" crimes for groups of people as few as three and could hold people responsible for crimes that other people commit.

Furthermore, lengthening the period of time for which a person could be charged with a crime will increase the likelihood of people being unjustly imprisoned.

I also do not believe that the death penalty's use should be expanded, as your bill does. We know innocent people have been exonerated across the country; why expand a system that is broken?

Finally, allowing prosecutors, rather than judges, to determine which juveniles to send to the adult system creates serious problems.

I urge you to correct these problems in S. 1735. We need to address the problem of gangs in ways we know work better.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
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What's At Stake:

1. BASIC POINTS

  • Creating new ill-defined crimes will increase wrongful convictions.
    This legislation creates new "gang" crimes for groups of people as few as three people and could be used to convict people of a felony for crimes other people commit. 
  • Lengthening the period of time for which a person could be charged with a crime will increase the likelihood of false imprisonment.
    Each of us has the right to a fair trial.  If we lengthen the period of time for which a person could be charged with a violent crime beyond ten or more years, as this bill seeks, the prosecution may rely on the faded memories of eyewitnesses and unreliable evidence.  This proposed legislation could therefore increase the likelihood that people are wrongfully convicted.
  • The death penalty's use should not be expanded.
    This bill would allow the death penalty to be used for an additional seven federal crimes.  There are numerous examples of people spending years -- and even decades -- on death row only to be exonerated.  The expansion of the death penalty would increase the likelihood that innocent people will be sent to death row and even executed.

2. Read what human rights, civil rights, and children's rights leaders have to say about S. 1735.

Read the letter sent to Senators Feinstein and Hatch by the Children's Defense Fund, the National Urban League, Human Rights Watch, the ACLU, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and scores of other groups.

3. Read what Father Gregory Boyle, successful and noted gang reformer, says about the S. 1735.

Father Boyle argues powerfully that the bill is the wrong solution and characterizes the bill as pandering, noting "We know what works...This bill does not fund what works well, only what plays well -- politically."

4. The Justice Policy Institute studied what happens when prosecutors, not judges, have discretion to put juveniles in the adult system.

The report finds racial discrimination and higher recidivism rates in Florida's sytem.

5. Read the bill. 

S. 1735.


Campaign Expiration Date:
April 30, 2005