Massachusetts Democrat Ayanna Pressley introduced a resolution in the House today that would usher in sweeping changes of the criminal justice system, including a provision that would allow inmates to be housed at facilities conforming to their gender identity.
Fox News’ Tyler Olson has more:
The resolution, which she dubbed “The People’s Justice Guarantee,” proposes a broad suite of reforms ranging from a ban on life sentences without parole to an assault weapons ban to decriminalizing prostitution.
“For far too long, those closest to the pain have not been closest to the power, resulting in a racist, xenophobic, rogue, and fundamentally flawed criminal legal system,” Pressley said in a press release. “Our resolution calls for a bold transformation of the status quo – devoted to dismantling injustices so that the system is smaller, safer, less punitive, and more humane.”
This is personal for me. It’s time for a bold people-centered vision for decarceration & justice in America. Today we’re introducing The People’s #JusticeGuarantee. Drafted with community & centering a people’s process that lifts the voices of those impacted by our broken system. https://t.co/pePAiBuFdg
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) November 14, 2019
Pressley’s plan would also give incarcerated people the right to vote, repeal federal laws that criminalize illegal immigration, require inmates who are working to be paid no less than federal minimum wage and increase support for inmates transitioning back into society. It would also ban “private companies from profiting from the operation of prisons, jails, and immigration detention facilities, including food services, financial services, commissaries, and medical care,” among many other proposals.
In addition to issues that obviously relate to criminal justice, Pressley’s resolution pushes Democratic issues that don’t directly relate to criminal justice, including the Green New Deal, a $15 minimum wage, reparations for slavery and the repeal of the Hyde Amendment — a provision in federal law that prevents federal funding from going toward abortion.
AAN Staff
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