|
Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council |
|
|
|
|
Written by administrator
|
|
Apr 13, 2010 at 06:57 PM |
Our report recommends the following reforms to U.S. juvenile and criminal
justice practices:
1. Sentencing Practices
Racially Disparate Sentencing
. End all mandatory sentencing practices.
. Amend penalties for crack cocaine to be equivalent with those for powder
cocaine, and eliminate similar egregious sentencing disparities.
. Mandate the preparation of racial/ethnic impact statements to be submitted
in conjunction with proposed sentencing and corrections legislation.
Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentencing
. Abolish the practice of sentencing people under age 18 to life in prison
without the possibility of parole.
. Provide meaningful review of the sentences of people currently serving
life without parole for crimes committed under age 18 after they have served
10 years, and every three years thereafter, to determine whether they have
been rehabilitated and may return to the community.
Collateral Consequences of Felony Convictions
. End implementation of all practices of collateral consequences for
drug convictions.
. Reinstate benefits for individuals with prior drug convictions.
2. Conditions of Confinement
Violations of Incarcerated Women's Reproductive Rights
. Cease performing sterilizations in the prison setting and comply with
domestic and international law prohibiting the use of federal funds for
sterilization in the incarceration settings.
. End the practice of shackling of incarcerated pregnant women, including
in transport to and from the hospital setting.
Treatment of Mentally Ill Prisoners
. Develop and implement quality screening methodology to identify mental
illness at prison intake in order to provide treatment as needed.
. Define minimum standards for mental health treatment of those inmates.
Confinement in Super-Maximum Security (Supermax) Prisons
. Cease the placement of vulnerable inmates, including the mentally
ill, in solitary confinement conditions where less punitive alternatives are
available.
. House prisoners in the least restrictive unit possible, in order to
cease the expansion of supermax confinement.
Read the entire report here. Adobe Acrobat Reader required.
UPR CJ Cluster Report.pdf
|
Newsflash