The Congressional Black Caucus Calls on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to Hold an Immediate Vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

The blatant disregard for human life, especially Black lives, is on display once again in our country’s police departments. This time in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Lafayette, Louisiana. Both men were shot in the back by police officers. Jacob Blake is paralyzed from the waist down and Trayford Pellerin is dead. 

The shootings of Jacob Blake and Trayford Pellerin are yet again two tragic incidents of police brutality against Black people in America.

In the letter, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), urged Leader McConnell to heed the calls of the American people for urgent reform in our police departments.

“On behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, the millions of Americans we represent, and the countless more who demand justice and peace, I write today to implore you to bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to the floor of the Senate for a vote,” said Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA). “How many more mothers and fathers must mourn the loss of a child to police violence? How many more children must be raised without a parent lost to police violence? How many more videos must we watch before you will act? Enough is enough.”

Over two months ago, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. This transformative legislation would hold police officers accountable and ensure the culture and training of law enforcement is grounded in protecting and serving all communities. The Congressional Black Caucus championed the passage of this bill in the House and has long fought for policing reform as part of our broader criminal justice reform efforts. This is evident in the policies included in the Justice in Policing Act that were originally championed by our founding members. 

While the House has answered the public outcry against police brutality, Leader McConnell has refused to hold a vote on this critical bill. He and President Trump seem more concerned with vilifying outraged communities than addressing the root causes of their real and legitimate frustration: state-sanctioned violence, fear, and grief. Since the murder of George Floyd, we have witnessed several instances of police brutality across our country: Rayshard Brooks, Trayford Pellerin, Jacob Blake, and too many more. Meanwhile, Breonna Taylor’s murderers are still free. Black Americans continue to be shot and brutally injured at the hands of law enforcement with complete impunity. 

We call on Leader McConnell to stand with us on the right side of history and advance meaningful policing reform through the Senate. The time is long overdue to finally put an end to police violence in Black communities in America.

Read the full letter here.

Jay-Z, Yo Gotti threaten to sue Mississippi over inhumane prisons

Rap mogul Jay-Z and hip-hop artist Yo Gotti wrote a letter to two top Mississippi officials Thursday, protesting the conditions of Mississippi prisons and demanding change.

The letter contained a threat — Jay-Z and Yo Gotti are ready to sue the state if prison conditions aren't improved.

An outbreak of deadly gang violence that left five dead in Mississippi prisons has brought the system's long-running problems into sharp relief and under national scrutiny.

The letter, addressed to Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Pelicia Hall, mentions frequent prison lockdowns, violence, a staffing shortage and inmates who "are forced to live in squalor, with rats that crawl over them as they sleep on the floor, having been denied even a mattress for a cot."

A spokesperson for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Alex Spiro, a New York lawyer representing Roc Nation, Yo Gotti and Jay-Z's company, signed the letter on behalf of Team Roc. He said he wrote the letter in collaboration with the celebrities.

Spiro told the Clarion Ledger Yo Gotti and Jay-Z have been involved with other social justice and civil rights cases in the past.

They have been in touch with "folks on the ground and people within the prison system," Spiro said.

"We are exploring a variety of civil rights claims and constitutional claims that the prison system and the government is violating the Eighth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act," he said.

Spiro said Jay-Z and Yo Gotti do not want to "remain idle spectators with something this inhumane."

"As the prison system continues to incarcerate more and more people, predominantly African American people down in Mississippi, the prison system becomes more crowded, more underfunded and more inhumane and you know what you see now is a system at its breaking point," the attorney said.

[SOURCE:USA TODAY]

Cory Booker “Ban the Box” bill heads to president’s desk

Fair Chance Act, included in NDAA, would give formerly incarcerated individuals a fairer chance at finding a job.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan bill authored by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) to give individuals with past convictions a better chance to find employment passed the U.S. Senate today as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved NDAA and the bill now awaits President Trump’s signature.

“After many fits and starts, we are finally about to give formerly incarcerated individuals a second chance by eliminating a major hurdle they face when job-searching,” Sen. Booker said. “This legislation will immediately change lives by allowing thousands of qualified people with criminal records to more meaningfully integrate into life outside prison walls. Getting this over the finish line was truly a collaborative effort, and I’m grateful to our bipartisan, bicameral coalition and the many stakeholder groups for their tireless advocacy. I know my late colleague, Chairman Elijah Cummings, is smiling down on us today because together, we have made a small, but important step in ensuring our criminal justice system better lives up to our ideals as a place for redemption and rehabilitation.”

“Getting people back to work improves the safety of our communities, strengthens families, and reduces government dependence – goals that all Americans share,” Sen. Johnson said. “If someone getting out of prison wants to work and be a productive member of society, we should do everything possible to facilitate that. Today’s passage of the Fair Chance Act is an important step in that direction.”

The Fair Chance Act would give formerly incarcerated individuals a better chance to find employment by prohibiting the federal government and federal contractors from asking about the criminal history of a job applicant prior to the extension of a conditional offer of employment. Criminal records reduce the chance of a callback or job offer by nearly 50 percent for men in general, making it difficult for individuals to move on from past convictions and contribute to society. Black men with criminal records are 60 percent less likely to receive a callback or job offer than those without records. For individuals trying to turn the page on a difficult chapter in their lives, a criminal conviction poses a substantial barrier to employment.

Earlier this year, Booker and Johnson testified on this bipartisan and bicameral legislation before two subcommittees of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

The Fair Chance Act builds upon the First Step Act, the most sweeping overhaul of the criminal justice system in a generation, which was signed into law last December. Booker was a key architect of the landmark bill and successfully fought to include provisions that effectively eliminated the solitary confinement of juveniles in federal supervision and the shackling of pregnant inmates. He also fought to include provisions that require healthcare products be provided to incarcerated women.

The Fair Chance Act would:

Prevent the federal government—including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches—from requesting criminal history information from applicants until they reach the conditional offer stage. Prohibit federal contractors from requesting criminal history information from candidates for positions within the scope of federal contracts until the conditional offer stage. Include important exceptions for positions related to law enforcement and national security duties, positions requiring access to classified information, and positions for which access to criminal history information before the conditional offer stage is required by law. Require the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in coordination with the U.S. Census Bureau, to issue a report on the employment statistics of formerly incarcerated individuals.

This legislation has been endorsed by ACLU; American Conservative Union; FreedomWorks; Justice Action Network; JustLeadershipUSA; Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; National Employment Law Project; R Street Institute; Safer Foundation; and Brett L. Tolman, Former U.S. Attorney, District of Utah.

As an African American voter what three issues are most important to you?

The Democratic Primary is in full gear, and we are hearing potential presidential candidates talking about what THEY think are the most important things to black voters.

You hear some candidates talk as if voters of color only care about criminal justice reform or police brutality. Issues like education, environmental racism, healthcare, a livable wage, the economy, or domestic terrorism are also of importance to African American voters

That leads us to this question. As an African American voter what three issues are most important to you?

Take the poll below. You may pick three issues or add your own.

BET News Presents: “AMERICAN INJUSTICE: A BET TOWN HALL” On March 24

BET News presents “ AMERICAN INJUSTICE: A BET TOWN HALL.” Hosted and moderated by award-winning broadcast journalist, Soledad O’Brien, this critical and timely primetime special brings together some of the most influential voices in Congress to explore the future of criminal justice reform in America. The panel of political heavyweights includes presidential candidates Senator Cory Booker and Senator Kamala Harris, and other key members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) including Rep. Karen Bass (CBC Chair), and Rep. Val Demings. This one-hour special speaks to the stark racial disparities that plague America’s criminal justice system and offers solutions. The town hall event airs Sunday, March 24 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on BET.

“BET Networks is committed to bringing conversations and stories of systemic issues of race and justice across our nation to light through platforms like our powerful ‘Finding Justice’ series, our upcoming leadership symposium and this important ‘American Injustice’ town hall conversation in partnership with members of the Congressional Black Caucus,” said Scott Mills, President of BET Networks. “We are taking this on in a way no other brand and network can. We look forward to taking the conversation beyond our screens and into action as we work towards addressing and telling the untold stories of transgressions to Black Americans.”

In America there are currently over 2 million people locked up in jail or prison and more than 4 million under correctional supervision, and America’s crisis of mass incarceration disproportionately impacts black and brown communities. In December, President Trump signed into law the “First Step Act” aimed at reforming some of the sentencing disparities in America’s Criminal justice system. While the bill is a “first step” toward reform, there is still much more work to be done.

In addition to the “First Step Act,” this BET Town Hall examines several other issues in the Criminal Justice system still in urgent need of reform including juvenile justice and the school-to-prison pipeline, the cash bail system that too often preys on low-income minorities and a probation/parole system that in too many cases works as a system to re-incarcerate offenders. This BET News special addresses these issues and offers tools to empower people to advocate for criminal justice reform at the local level, in their communities. To drive audience engagement and give context to the issues discussed, clips of BET’s original docuseries “Finding Justice” will be included throughout the special.

Tune in Sunday, March 24 starting at 8:00 PM ET to a new episode of “Finding Justice” focusing on voter suppression, followed by “AMERICAN INJUSTICE: A BET TOWN HALL,” at 9:00 PM ET/PT and be part of this crucial conversation by socializing your thoughts with the hashtag #FindingJusticeBET

Cory Booker reintroduces The Marijuana Justice Act

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate's Judiciary Committee, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), today reintroduced their landmark bill to end the federal prohibition on marijuana.

In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

"The War on Drugs has not been a war on drugs, it's been a war on people, and disproportionately people of color and low-income individuals," said Booker. "The Marijuana Justice Act seeks to reverse decades of this unfair, unjust, and failed policy by removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances and making it legal at the federal level."

"But it's not enough to simply decriminalize marijuana. We must also repair the damage caused by reinvesting in those communities that have been most harmed by the War on Drugs. And we must expunge the records of those who have served their time. The end we seek is not just legalization, it's justice."

"The War on Drugs has destroyed lives, and no one continues to be hurt more than people of color and low-income communities," said Wyden. "There is a desperate need not only to correct course by ending the failed federal prohibition of marijuana, but to right these wrongs and ensure equal justice for those who have been disproportionately impacted."

"Millions of Americans' lives have been devastated because of our broken marijuana policies, especially in communities of color and low-income communities," said Gillibrand. "Currently, just one minor possession conviction can take away a lifetime of opportunities for jobs, education, and housing, tear families apart, and make people more vulnerable to serving time in jail down the road. It is shameful that my son would likely be treated very differently from one of his Black or Latino peers if he was caught with marijuana, and legalizing marijuana is an issue of morality and social justice. I'm proud to work with Senator Booker on this legislation to help fix decades of injustice caused by our nation's failed drug policies."

"As I said during my 2016 campaign, hundreds of thousands of people are arrested for possession of marijuana every single year," said Sanders. "Many of those people, disproportionately people of color, have seen their lives negatively impacted because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use. That has got to change. We must end the absurd situation of marijuana being listed as a Schedule 1 drug alongside heroin. It is time to decriminalize marijuana, expunge past marijuana convictions and end the failed war on drugs."

"Marijuana laws in this country have not been applied equally, and as a result we have criminalized marijuana use in a way that has led to the disproportionate incarceration of young men of color. It's time to change that," said Harris. "Legalizing marijuana is the smart thing to do and the right thing to do in order to advance justice and equality for every American."

"Marijuana should be legalized, and we should wipe clean the records of those unjustly jailed for minor marijuana crimes. By outlawing marijuana, the federal government puts communities of color, small businesses, public health and safety at risk." said Warren.

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"This long-overdue change will help bring our marijuana laws into the 21st century. It's past time we bring fairness and relief to communities that our criminal justice system has too often left behind." said Bennet.

"Communities of color and low-income communities have been devastated by the War on Drugs," said Lee. "As Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, I'm proud to sponsor legislation that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, address the disproportionate impact of prohibition on people of color by expunging criminal convictions, and promote equitable participation in the legal marijuana industry by investing in the communities hardest hit by the failed War on Drugs."

"Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by misguided marijuana policy for far too long," said Khanna. "Rep. Lee, Sen. Booker, and I are proud to introduce this important legislation and deliver justice for so many Americans."

The Marijuana Justice Act seeks to reverse decades of failed drug policy that has disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color. Beyond removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances - making it legal at the federal level - the bill would also automatically expunge the convictions of those who have served federal time for marijuana use and possession offenses, and it would reinvest in the communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs through a community fund. This community reinvestment fund could be used for projects such as job training programs, re-entry services, and community centers.

The bill would also incentivize states through the use of federal funds to change their marijuana laws if those laws were shown to have a disproportionate effect on low-income individuals and/or people of color.

By going further than simply rescheduling marijuana with expungement and community reinvestment, Booker, Lee, and Khanna's bill is the most far-reaching marijuana legislation ever to be introduced in Congress.

The bill is retroactive and would apply to those already serving time behind bars for marijuana-related offenses, providing for a judge's review of marijuana sentences.

Full text of the bill is here.

Background on Booker's leadership on issues of marijuana and criminal justice:

Booker has seen the effects of our broken marijuana laws first-hand, dating back to his time as a tenant lawyer, City Council member, and Mayor of Newark, where he created the city's first office of prisoner re-entry to help formerly incarcerated individuals re-integrate into their communities.

In the Senate, Booker was an outspoken critic of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions' effort to revive the failed War on Drugs. Most recently, he pressed Trump's newest pick for Attorney General, William Barr, on his stance on marijuana legalization and the Cole memo, winning a commitment from Barr to leave alone states that have already legalized marijuana.

In addition to the Marijuana Justice Act, Booker is the co-author of the bipartisan CARERS Act, which would allow patients to access medical marijuana in states where it's legal without fear of federal prosecution, and the bipartisan REDEEM Act, which would allow nonviolent drug offenders to petition a court to seal and expunge their drug offenses, while automatically sealing, and in some cases expunging, the nonviolent records of juveniles. These reforms would reduce a major barrier that formerly incarcerated individuals face when attempting to rejoin society. He is also a cosponsor of the Fair Chance Act, which prohibits the federal government and federal contractors from asking about the criminal history of a job applicant prior to a conditional offer of employment. Earlier this month, the Fair Chance Act passed out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Booker was a key architect of the First Step Act, the most sweeping overhaul of our criminal justice system in a decade, which passed the Senate on December 18, 2018, and was signed into law on December 21. Booker was instrumental in adding key sentencing provisions to the package after opposing the House-passed version of the First Step Act first released in May 2018. The sentencing provisions in the final bill include: reducing the "three strikes" penalty from life in prison to 25 years; giving judges greater discretion to circumvent mandatory minimum sentences when warranted; eliminating the so-called "stacking" of mandatory minimum sentence enhancements related to certain firearm offenses; and making retroactive a 2010 law that reduced the egregious sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine -- disparities that overwhelmingly and disproportionately affect African-Americans.

Booker also successfully fought to include provisions that effectively eliminate the solitary confinement of juveniles in federal supervision.

The legislation also includes provisions Booker has long advocated for that ban the shackling of pregnant inmates and require that healthcare products be provided to incarcerated women.

Kamala Harris calls for legalized marijuana nationwide

Kamala Harris has called for the national legalization of marijuana. Read her campaign's statement on the issue below:

Two out of three Americans believe that marijuana should be legal, and this sentiment only grows stronger by the year. With rising support for legalization, it’s clear we need to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. It’s the smart thing to do.

More states are moving to legalize marijuana through ballot initiatives and bills in state legislatures, but it is not enough. This isn’t just a matter of combating outdated and unpopular marijuana laws. It’s a matter of repairing our communities, system, and country.

It’s past time that we ALL address the harrowing issue of mass incarceration in our country -- and that starts with marijuana legalization and restorative justice programs in our damaged criminal justice system.

Our system continues to target and imprison young Black and Latin Americans for low-level, nonviolent drug offenses at high levels. Too many lives and communities have been ruined by regressive policies. This needs to be rectified with a pathway to legalization at the federal level.

Here’s what our fight looks like:

Introduce and pass legislation to legalize marijuana nationwide.

Expunge nonviolent marijuana-related offenses from the records of millions of people who have been arrested and incarcerated.

Create national programs to address addiction treatment and reentry for all formerly incarcerated Americans.

Kamala is a firm believer that we can no longer repeat the same mistakes from our past if we’re going to build a country that works for everyone. That’s the foundation of our campaign. We cannot claim decency, freedom, justice, and equality as our values without reforming this broken system.

Baltimore State Marilyn Mosby: Baltimore will stop prosecuting marijuana possession,

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced Tuesday her office would cease prosecuting people for possessing marijuana regardless of the quantity or the person’s criminal history.

Calling the move monumental for justice in Baltimore, Mosby also requested the courts vacate convictions in nearly 5,000 cases of marijuana possession.

Van Jones to lead Reform Alliance, a criminal justice initiative

Today, the REFORM Alliance announced that renowned activist and TV personality Van Jones will serve as the organization's Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The REFORM Alliance is a newly-established organization that is committed to advancing criminal justice reform and eliminating outdated laws that perpetuate injustice, starting with probation and parole.

In his role with the REFORM Alliance, Jones will oversee the implementation of the organization's mission to drastically reduce the number of people who are under control of the criminal justice system while keeping communities safe by changing laws and public opinion.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," Jones said. "I have spent my entire adult life preparing myself to help lead an initiative of this magnitude. I'm looking forward to working with this powerful group of founders to disrupt the status quo and shift the criminal justice system landscape for generations to come."

REFORM is backed by a bi-partisan and diverse group of sports, entertainment and business leaders, including award-winning recording artist Meek Mill; Philadelphia 76ers co-owner and Fanatics executive chairman Michael Rubin; entrepreneur and business mogul Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter; Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Brooklyn Nets co-owner and philanthropic investor Clara Wu Tsai; Third Point LLC CEO and founder Daniel S. Loeb; Galaxy Digital CEO and founder Michael E. Novogratz; Vista Equity Partners founder, chairman and CEO Robert F. Smith.

"I don't think we could find a better person to lead this movement than Van Jones," said Rubin, who is the co-chairman of the REFORM Alliance alongside Meek Mill. "He has devoted most of his adult life to criminal justice reform and his passion is unparalleled. With the incredible founding partners that we've assembled standing alongside Van as our leader, I'm confident that we will make a real difference."

A Yale-educated attorney, Jones has spent nearly 25 years laboring on social change causes, with a recurring focus on criminal justice issues.

Jones co-founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in 1996. Based in Oakland, that organization has been a leading force in criminal justice reform for more than two decades. The center played a key role in closing five abusive youth prisons in California and blocking the construction of a Super-Jail for youth in Oakland.

In 2013, Jones co-founded #cut50, a bipartisan justice reform initiative of the Dream Corps. #cut50 played a vital role in passing criminal justice reform at the federal level last year. The New York Times called the bill -- the First Step Act -- the most significant criminal justice breakthrough in a generation.

Jones will continue to appear occasionally on CNN and host his bimonthly weekend program on CNN, The Van Jones Show.

About REFORM AllianceThe REFORM Alliance is committed to advancing criminal justice reform and eradicating laws and policies that perpetuate injustice in the United States. To achieve that objective, the REFORM Alliance will strive to pass probation bills at the state level, use media to amplify the need for comprehensive reform and build an inclusive, bi-partisan alliance of leaders from the business, entertainment, sports and community industries who share a cohesive vision for ambitiously and efficiently transforming the criminal justice system.

To learn more about the alliance, please visit http://www.reformnow.com/.

4 things Trump's offer to NFL players to pardon people wont change

By George L. Cook III African American Reports EMAIL: George Cook

With the backdrop of the positive response to his pardon of Alice Johnson and the National Anthem controversy in which National Football League players are protesting police brutality and racism, President Trump in his tone-deaf way has made an offer to black athletes in the NFL to submit cases of possible injustice so he can evaluate them for potential pardons.

"I’m going to ask all of those people to recommend to me -- because that’s what they’re protesting -- people that they think were unfairly treated by the justice system,” Trump told reporters Friday before departing the for the G-7 summit in Canada, adding that they shouldn’t remain in the locker room while the national anthem is played before games.

"If I find, and my committee finds, that they’re unfairly treated, then we will pardon them, or at least let them out," the president said.

While Trump's offer to pardon those in federal prison may help dozens it does nothing to help thousands who suffer at the hands of the justice system and abusive policing. Trump is hoping that African Americans somehow fall for this PR stunt and see this as a move that benefits them a whole when it doesn't.

Here are four things his offer to pardon people won't address:

Police committing acts of brutality and shooting unarmed black men. Until there are tougher consequences at the Federal level for bad police officers who violate the HUMAN rights of American citizens these abuses will continue.

Criminal justice reform addressing disparate sentences for African Americans as compared to white Americans for committing the same crimes.

Bail reform, thousands sit in jail not because they have been found guilty of a crime but because they can't make bail.

Environmental issues that affect black communities that lead to learning and behavioral problems that can make a child more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, these are things that immediately sprung to mind upon hearing of Trump's offer to NFL players.

This is just another example of Trump pointing to the bright shiny object hoping that we all ignore the grim reality that needs to be addressed. Pay attention people and don't let this con-man get with pulling yet another PR stunt that doesn't benefit African Americans as a whole.

So, in light of Trump's misguided offer to pardon boxing legend Muhammad Ali whose conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1971 I would like to close by warning us all not to fall for the okey-doke.

George L. Cook III African American Reports

CBC Introduces Jobs and Justice Act of 2018 Legislation to help Black Families, Help Ensure Equal Protection Under the Law

National Mama's Bailout Day

Money kept them in.
Black love got them out.”

— Pat Hussain, Co-founder of Southerners on New Ground

The week before Mother’s day organizations in Oakland, Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, Montgomery, Memphis, Minneapolis, Durham, Atlanta and beyond will bail out as many mothers as possible who otherwise would spend Mother’s Day in a cell simply because they cannot afford bail.

National Mama’s Bail Out Day will give incarcerated mothers an opportunity to spend Mother’s Day with their families and build community through gatherings that highlight the impact of inhumane and destructive bail practices on our communities!

We will bail out mama’s in all of our varieties — queer, trans, young, elder, and immigrant.

The impact of money bail on our Mamas…

Everyday an average of 700,000 people are condemned to cages and separated from their families simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. Since 1980 the number of incarcerated women has grown by 700%. Black women and Trans women are especially vulnerable to incarcerated. Black women are twice as likely as their white counterparts to be jailed. One in five transgender women have spent time in prison or jail and one in three of them reported being sexually assaulted while there.

Eight in ten incarcerated women are mothers and nearly half are in local jails, locked in cages for crimes they have not been convicted of. Most of the women in jail are accused of minor drug and ‘quality of life’ offenses and are languishing in cells simply because they cannot afford to pay bail.

In addition to the over $9 billion wasted to incarcerate people who have been convicted of no crime, pre-trial incarceration has catastrophic impacts on families and communities. Even a few days in jail can ruin a woman’s life. She may lose her job, her family may lose their housing and some even lose their children.

What we can do…

We can buy their freedom and push against mass criminalization and modern bondage!

In the tradition of our enslaved Black ancestors, who used their collective resources to purchase each other’s freedom before slavery was abolished, until we abolish bail and mass incarceration, we’re gonna free ourselves.

It is going to take our collective effort to give as many Black mamas their freedom this Mother’s Day, as possible. Now more than ever, we must support our people and dismantle this system that destroys our humanity and breaks up our families.

Click Here Donate to National Mamas Bailout Day

President Obama Grants 153 Commutations and 78 Pardons to Individuals Deserving of a Second Chance

Today, President Obama granted clemency to 231 deserving individuals — the most individual acts of clemency granted in a single day by any president in this nation’s history. With today’s 153 commutations, the President has now commuted the sentences of 1,176 individuals, including 395 life sentences. The President also granted pardons to 78 individuals, bringing his total number of pardons to 148. Today’s acts of clemency — and the mercy the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients — exemplify his belief that America is a nation of second chances.

The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use — or have already made use — of a second chance. While each clemency recipient’s story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them. For the pardon recipient, it is the story of an individual who has led a productive and law-abiding post-conviction life, including by contributing to the community in a meaningful way. For the commutation recipient, it is the story of an individual who has made the most of his or her time in prison, by participating in educational courses, vocational training, and drug treatment. These are the stories that demonstrate the successes that can be achieved — by both individuals and society — in a nation of second chances.

Today’s grants signify the President’s continued commitment to exercising his clemency authority through the remainder of his time in office. In 2016 alone, the President has granted clemency to more than 1,000 deserving individuals. The President continues to review clemency applications on an individualized basis to determine whether a particular applicant has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance, and I expect that the President will issue more grants of both commutations and pardons before he leaves office. The mercy that the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients is remarkable, but we must remember that clemency is a tool of last resort and that only Congress can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure over the long run that our criminal justice system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety.

[SOURCE: Whitehouse.gov]