The Sentencing Project · [email protected]

December 3, 2025 at 7:01 PM

We’re Thankful — And We Still Need You

Your support helps continue the fight for justice and fairness.Hi John  As Giving Tuesday wraps up, we wanted to share our gratitude. This community gives us strength, momentum, and hope. And if you’re reading this, you’re part of that community too.But the truth is, the work continues. Kids are sti…

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  The Sentencing Project · [email protected]

December 3, 2025 at 4:00 AM

Why Our Research Matters

Trusted research drives policy, advocacy, and national conversations.Hi John  One of the most important roles The Sentencing Project plays is serving as a trusted, national resource. Our research shapes court decisions, informs policymakers, strengthens advocacy campaigns, and educates millions, inc…

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  The Sentencing Project · [email protected]

December 2, 2025 at 10:02 PM

The People Your Support Could Reach

Help amplify the voices and experiences shaping the fight for justice.Hi John, In the middle of all the policy wins and Giving Tuesday momentum, we want to highlight the people at the center of this work, the individuals and families whose lives are shaped every day by our justice system.Every day, …

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  The Sentencing Project · [email protected]

December 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM

Maryland Just Passed a Major Reform

See how communities and supporters like you create change.Hi John, We have big news: Maryland's recently passed Second Look bill is now in effect, and it's a major step forward for justice and second chances. The law gives people who have served many years in prison the opportunity to have their sen…

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  The Sentencing Project · [email protected]

December 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM

Join Us This Giving Tuesday

Be part of a community building a fair and just system.Hi {First Name}, As Giving Tuesday begins, I wanted to reach out personally. The movement to end mass incarceration is strongest when more people join in…  people like you who care deeply about fairness, justice, and the future we’re building to…

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  The Sentencing Project · [email protected]

November 26, 2025 at 5:48 PM

A Moment of Thanks

Thanks to you, meaningful change is happening — and there’s more to do.Hi John , Happy Thanksgiving! As we pause to reflect on the year, we hope you are able to look back with gratitude and look ahead with hope.  Your support has been at the heart of real progress this year... from advancing policie…

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  Josh Rovner · [email protected]

November 20, 2025 at 7:10 PM

New Report Finds Youth Incarceration Declined by 74%

Dear John,  A new report by The Sentencing Project, "Youth Justice by the Numbers," reveals that youth incarceration has dropped dramatically this century — falling 74%, from 120,200 youth in juvenile and adult facilities in 2000 to 31,800 in 2023. Youth arrests and incarceration remain well below…

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  Nazgol Ghandnoosh · [email protected]

November 14, 2025 at 3:31 PM

Did you see The Sentencing Project on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver?

The Sentencing Project's felony murder research featured on Last Week Tonight Dear John, This week, The Sentencing Project’s “felony murder” research was featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO. “Felony murder” occurs when a person participates in a felony, such as a robbery, that res…

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  Nazgol Ghandnoosh · [email protected]

November 12, 2025 at 3:01 PM

New Report: States Expanding Prisons Despite Crime Declines

John,  We invite you to read the Sentencing Project’s new report, “America’s Incarceration Crossroads: Reversing Progress Amid Record-Low Crime Rates.” This analysis reveals a troubling reversal in U.S. criminal justice reform, reflecting a growing political backlash to reform and a resurgence of p…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

November 5, 2025 at 4:13 PM

WEBINAR: Celebrate Youth Justice Advocates Fighting Mass Incarceration

John, I’m pleased to invite you to join us for The Sentencing Project's fourth Marc Mauer Racial Justice Award virtual event on November 6th, where we will honor the Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP).    Based in Philadelphia, YASP is a youth-led and youth-centered intergenerational o…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

November 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM

WEBINAR: Celebrate Youth Justice Advocates Fighting Mass Incarceration

John, I’m pleased to invite you to join us for The Sentencing Project's fourth Marc Mauer Racial Justice Award virtual event on November 6th, where we will honor the Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP).    Based in Philadelphia, YASP is a youth-led and youth-centered intergenerational o…

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  Nicole D. Porter · [email protected]

October 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM

Expanding Electoral Engagement Among Justice‑Impacted People

John, The Sentencing Project’s new brief, “Expanding Electoral Engagement Among Justice‑Impacted People,” identifies effective strategies used to mobilize justice-impacted communities to vote. For many justice-impacted people, removing legal barriers to voting is necessary for full participation in…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

October 28, 2025 at 2:30 PM

You're Invited: Marc Mauer Racial Justice Awards

John, I’m pleased to invite you to join us for The Sentencing Project's fourth Marc Mauer Racial Justice Award virtual event on November 6th, where we will honor the Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP).    Based in Philadelphia, YASP is a youth-led and youth-centered intergenerational o…

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  Kristen M. Budd · [email protected]

October 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM

WEBINAR: Voting from Prison

John,  Very few places in the United States allow incarcerated people completing a felony sentence to vote. Incarcerated people in Maine, Vermont, and Washington, DC retain their right to cast a ballot in elections. As a follow-up to The Sentencing Project’s recent report, Voting from Prison: Less…

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  Kristen M. Budd · [email protected]

October 14, 2025 at 3:01 PM

WEBINAR: Voting from Prison

John,  Very few places in the United States allow incarcerated people completing a felony sentence to vote. Incarcerated people in Maine, Vermont, and Washington, DC retain their right to cast a ballot in elections. As a follow-up to The Sentencing Project’s recent report, Voting from Prison: Less…

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  Kristen M. Budd · [email protected]

October 10, 2025 at 2:01 PM

WEBINAR: Voting from Prison

John,  Very few places in the United States allow incarcerated people completing a felony sentence to vote. Incarcerated people in Maine, Vermont, and Washington, DC retain their right to cast a ballot in elections. As a follow-up to The Sentencing Project’s recent report, Voting from Prison: Less…

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  Liz Komar · [email protected]

October 1, 2025 at 2:11 PM

New Report Warns Against Federal Prosecution Overreach

John,  In the wake of the DC policing takeover, reporting has highlighted how federal authorities have aggressively prosecuted low-level offenses that would normally be handled at the local level. Throwing a sandwich at an FBI agent can result in an attempted indictment for federal felony assault o…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

September 24, 2025 at 6:33 PM

Our 2024 Annual Report is here

READ REPORT John, As we continue our work in 2025, we’re reflecting on the impact of 2024 - a year in which The Sentencing Project produced research, analyzed policies, and provided insights that support a fairer and more effective justice system.  We invite you to read our 2024 Annual Report, wh…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

September 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM

The Sentencing Project Condemns House Passage of Bills Threatening DC’s Autonomy and Youth

John,  This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bills attacking Home Rule and rolling back decades of evidence-based criminal justice reforms in the District of Columbia. But the fight doesn’t stop here – we can block these bills in the Senate with your help.   These votes are a disturbi…

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  Richard Mendel · [email protected]

September 8, 2025 at 2:30 PM

TMW: Webinar - A Better Approach to Addressing Youth Gun Possession

John, Reducing gun violence should be an urgent priority in the United States. However, imposing harsh consequences for all adolescent gun possession cases harms urban youth of color disproportionately without benefits for community safety. Other approaches to reducing gun violence – such as local…

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  Richard Mendel · [email protected]

September 2, 2025 at 4:02 PM

WEBINAR: A Better Approach to Addressing Youth Gun Possession

John, Reducing gun violence should be an urgent priority in the United States. However, imposing harsh consequences for all adolescent gun possession cases harms urban youth of color disproportionately without benefits for community safety. Other approaches to reducing gun violence – such as local…

See More from Richard Mendel

  Sara Cohbra · [email protected]

August 27, 2025 at 2:48 PM

Despite Federal Attacks on Justice Reform, Momentum to Reconsider Extreme Sentences Continues

John,  The Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to roll back local criminal legal reforms in Washington, DC, and elsewhere, are deeply at odds with national trends. Today, The Sentencing Project released an updated report outlining how sentence review reforms—which allow courts to reconsider l…

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  Richard Mendel · [email protected]

August 25, 2025 at 7:04 PM

WEBINAR: A Better Approach to Addressing Youth Gun Possession

John, Reducing gun violence should be an urgent priority in the United States. However, imposing harsh consequences for all adolescent gun possession cases harms urban youth of color disproportionately without benefits for community safety. Other approaches to reducing gun violence – such as local…

See More from Richard Mendel

  Liz Komar · [email protected]

August 19, 2025 at 7:34 PM

TAKE ACTION DC: Urge Congress to Stop the Federal Takeover of DC

John, We need your voice—right now.  Last week, President Trump invoked a so-called "public safety emergency" to seize temporary federal control over Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department and deployed the National Guard in our nation’s capital. US Attorney Pirro also called on the Counci…

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  Josh Rovner · [email protected]

August 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Youth Incarceration

Black, Latino, and Tribal Youth Face Alarming Rates of Confinement Dear John,  Today, The Sentencing Project released a series of fact sheets revealing a disturbing resurgence in youth incarceration and widening racial disparities as of 2023. Despite calls from the Trump Administration yesterday to …

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

August 6, 2025 at 2:10 PM

60 Years After the Voting Rights Act, the Fight for the Ballot Continues

Dear John,  Sixty years ago today, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law, marking a pivotal victory in the fight to expand access to the ballot for millions of Americans previously excluded.  Today, we know that the promise of the Voting Rights Act remains unfulfilled. Felony voting ban…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

July 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM

A system built to punish. A fund built to change it.

Your Annual Fund support fuels real reform. Final Reminder: Please support the 2025 Annual Fund and help reach our $25,000 goal.   Your Gift: PENDING  You Know The System Is Broken.  Ending mass incarceration isn’t easy. But we know what works, and we know how to push for change. The only thing lef…

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  Kristen M. Budd · [email protected]

July 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM

New Report: Voting in Prison

We must remove systemic barriers to voting in correctional facilities Dear John,  Today, The Sentencing Project released a new report, Voting From Prison: Lessons From Maine and Vermont, which finds that incarcerated citizens in Maine and Vermont still face significant barriers to casting a ballot.…

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  Kara Gotsch, Executive Director · [email protected]

July 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM

Our work made it to HBO

Now we need your help.Dear John,  Millions of people just saw what we’ve been working to change for decades: our juvenile justice system is a failure. It undermines public safety, damages young people’s physical and mental health, and impedes their educational and career success. Even worse, communi…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

June 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM

This is how we fight back >>>

Your Annual Fund gift powers real change. John  xxxxxx Donor ID: 121552198 2025 Annual Fund Support: PENDING Donate Now These are the facts: Life sentences now account for one in every six people in U.S. prisons—a record high despite near-record-low crime. Even more staggering, the U.S. holds 40…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

June 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM

They’re hoping you’ll stay quiet…

But justice reform depends on those who refuse to back down. Give today. Dear [First Name],  Right now, well-funded efforts are underway to undo hard-won progress.  We’ve seen this before. The implementation and expansion of reactionary policies that expand extreme sentencing, target younger people…

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  Richard Mendel · [email protected]

June 12, 2025 at 2:01 PM

New Report Calls Out Ineffective Approach to Addressing Youth Gun Possession

Proven solutions exist that better support youth and improve community safety. Dear John,  Among rising concerns about widespread and dangerous gun possession by youth, a new report from The Sentencing Project shows how youth justice systems’ responses are often ineffective and excessively punitive.…

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  Josh Rovner · [email protected]

June 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM

Federal cuts harm our children and teens

Dear John,  The Trump Administration recently cancelled 373 Department of Justice grants, including 49 administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). These were effective and promising programs directed toward everything from the Gault Center’s work enhancing juve…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

May 23, 2025 at 2:31 PM

Five years later

Dear John,  Five years ago, the country mourned the horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands of police violence in Minneapolis, igniting some of the largest protests this country has seen calling for an overdue nationwide reckoning on racial justice.  But we know from history that with progress…

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  Sabrina Pearce · [email protected]

May 6, 2025 at 2:05 PM

New Report: The Growing Wait for Parole After a Life Sentence

Dear John,  Of the roughly 200,000 people serving life sentences in 2024, nearly half are eligible for parole but endure extended delays in the parole process – from the wait for initial eligibility to the wait for reconsideration following a denial, according to a new report released today by The…

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  Leyda Pereyra · [email protected]

April 24, 2025 at 12:54 PM

TODAY: Webinar - The Eugenic Origins of Three Strikes Laws

Dear John,  Last month, The Sentencing Project released a report titled "The Eugenic Origins of Three Strikes Laws: How ‘Habitual Offender’ Sentencing Laws Were Used as a Means of Sterilization," revealing how American eugenicists promoted “habitual offender” laws in the early 1900s because they …

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  Nicole D. Porter · [email protected]

April 23, 2025 at 3:21 PM

Victory in Maryland! Governor Signs Second Look Act!

Dear John, With Governor Moore’s signature, Maryland has taken a meaningful step toward advancing justice, redemption, and community safety.   This landmark legislation creates a pathway for Marylanders to petition for a judicial review after serving at least 20 years behind bars for those who com…

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  Leyda Pereyra · [email protected]

April 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM

Webinar: How ‘Habitual Offender’ Laws Were Used as a Means of Sterilization

Dear John,  Last month, The Sentencing Project released a report titled "The Eugenic Origins of Three Strikes Laws: How ‘Habitual Offender’ Sentencing Laws Were Used as a Means of Sterilization," revealing how American eugenicists promoted “habitual offender” laws in the early 1900s because they …

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  Liz Komar · [email protected]

April 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM

Michigan Bans Mandatory LWOP for People Under 21

John, Your support is creating second chances.   Last week, Michigan’s Supreme Court held that mandatorily sentencing 19- and 20-year-old emerging adults to life without parole (LWOP) is unconstitutionally harsh and disproportionate punishment under the Michigan Constitution. Earlier this month, th…

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  Leyda Pereyra · [email protected]

April 11, 2025 at 4:40 PM

Webinar: The Eugenic Origins of Three Strikes Laws

Dear John,  Last month, The Sentencing Project released a report titled "The Eugenic Origins of Three Strikes Laws: How ‘Habitual Offender’ Sentencing Laws Were Used as a Means of Sterilization," revealing how American eugenicists promoted “habitual offender” laws in the early 1900s because they …

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

April 9, 2025 at 4:11 PM

Take Action: Tell Congress to Fund DC

Dear John,  The Sentencing Project is proud to be headquartered in the District of Columbia. We’ve worked for decades to build a safer, stronger, and fairer city for all Washingtonians, featuring some of the most robust sentencing reform laws in the country.   But this progress is under threat. Las…

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  Nicole D. Porter · [email protected]

April 4, 2025 at 6:46 PM

Big News! Maryland Lawmakers Pass Second Look Act!

Dear John,  Yesterday, Maryland lawmakers took a step towards justice by passing the Second Look Act, legislation that allows a judicial review of sentences after serving 20 years for those who committed their offense under the age of 25. This legislation recognizes what researchers, communities, …

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  Bill Underwood · [email protected]

April 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM

TMW - WEBINAR: Fight Mass Incarceration in the 119th Congress

Dear John,  Earlier this month, The Sentencing Project released a federal advocacy toolkit with our key legislative priorities for the 119th Congress. Join me on April 2, 2025, at 3 PM ET for a webinar to learn more about how you can take action to end extreme sentencing, expand voting rights, an…

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  Bill Underwood · [email protected]

March 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM

Join us! Fight Mass Incarceration in the 119th Congress

Dear John,  Earlier this month, The Sentencing Project released a federal advocacy toolkit with our key legislative priorities for the 119th Congress. Join me on April 2, 2025, at 3 PM ET for a webinar to learn more about how you can take action to end extreme sentencing, expand voting rights, and…

See More from Bill Underwood

  Liz Komar · [email protected]

March 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM

Webinar: Fighting Mass Incarceration in the 119th Congress

Dear John,  Earlier this month, The Sentencing Project released a federal advocacy toolkit with our key legislative priorities for the 119th Congress. Join me on April 2, 2025, at 3 PM ET for a webinar to learn more about how you can take action to end extreme sentencing, expand voting rights, and…

See More from Liz Komar

  Josh Rovner · [email protected]

March 19, 2025 at 2:01 PM

Webinar: Federal Reports Show Path to Youth Justice Reform

Dear John,  Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, a landmark piece of legislation that set minimum standards for the care of youth in juvenile justice systems.  Part of that law requires the federal Coordinating Council on Juvenile Ju…

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  Josh Rovner · [email protected]

March 15, 2025 at 2:31 PM

Webinar: Federal Reports Show Path to Youth Justice Reform

Dear John,  Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, a landmark piece of legislation that set minimum standards for the care of youth in juvenile justice systems.  Part of that law requires the federal Coordinating Council on Juvenile Ju…

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  Josh Rovner · [email protected]

March 11, 2025 at 2:01 PM

Webinar: Federal Reports Show Path to Youth Justice Reform

Dear John,  Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, a landmark piece of legislation that set minimum standards for the care of youth in juvenile justice systems.  Part of that law requires the federal Coordinating Council on Juvenile Ju…

See More from Josh Rovner

  Bill Underwood · [email protected]

March 7, 2025 at 3:01 PM

New Toolkit: Fighting Mass Incarceration in the 119th Congress

READ TOOLKIT Dear John,  Today, The Sentencing Project released a federal advocacy toolkit, where you’ll find our key legislative priorities for the 119th Congress across our campaigns to 1) end extreme sentencing, 2) expand voting rights, and 3) promote youth justice.  I know firsthand the import…

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  Kara Gotsch · [email protected]

March 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM

Updated Privacy Policy

Dear John,  We're contacting you to let you know that we have updated our Privacy Policy.  The new Privacy Policy took effect on March 5th, so please take the time to review the updated version, available here. Here's a quick summary of the key changes:We've updated our Privacy Policy with the most …

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