Sixty-six members of Congress are asking President Joe Biden (D) to use his clemency powers during the final months of his presidency to “address longstanding injustices” in the U.S. legal system and set the “nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.”
In a letter dated November 20, the authors note that there are nearly 2 million people imprisoned in the U.S. and that “People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities.”
“The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminishes trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.” — Nov. 20 letter to Biden
The signatories write that the annual cost to taxpayers to keep people imprisoned is $182 billion – more than double the entire Department of Education Budget.
“Our country is spending exorbitant amounts of money to keep people in prison for prolonged periods of time, including those who do not pose a significant public safety threat,” the letter states. “In our growing federal prison
