The End Mass Criminalization Team works on the following issues:

• Mass Incarceration
• School to Prison Pipeline
• Racial Profiling
• Restoration of Voting Rights to People with Past Criminal Convictions
• Prison Industrial Complex/Privatization of Prisons
• War on Drugs/Legalization of Marijuana
• Harm Reduction
• Stop and Frisk
• Mandatory Minimum Sentences
• Prison Gerrymandering
• Criminalization of Poverty
• Ban the Box
• Solitary Confinement
• Militarization of Law Enforcement
• Incarceration of the Mentally Ill
• Criminalization of Immigrants

Mass Incarceration Statistics/Facts

• There are more African-Americans in prison, on probation or on parole than were enslaved in 1850
• African-Americans account for 13% of marijuana use; however they make up 80% of the prison population incarcerated for marijuana use
• More than 5 million Americans have lost their right to vote due to a past felony conviction
• The US has 5% of the world's population but 24% of the world's prisoners
• The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world with 2.3 million prisoners; China has 1.6 million
• For profit prisons have risen 37% between 2002 and 2009. In 2011, Corrections Corporation of America recorded $1.7 billion in total revenue and the Geo Group recorded $1.6 billion. These companies spent more than $19.6 million on lobbying over the past 10 years
• In 2003, African-American youth made up 16% of the nation’s overall juvenile population, but accounted for 45% of juvenile arrests
• Children as young as five years old are being led out of classrooms in handcuffs for acting out or throwing temper tantrums
• In many states, children as young as 13 are tried as adults

Legislation Our Team Has Endorsed

• S353 (Paul-R-KY)/HR 706 (Scott -D-VA03) - Justice Safety Valve Act
• HR 2521 (Edwards-D-MD04) - The REAL Act
• S1056 (Cardin-D-MD)/HR 1933 (Conyers-D-MI-13) - End Racial Profiling
• S772 (Cardin-D-MD)/HR 1459 (Conyers-D-MI-13) - Democracy Restoration Act
• HR 1232 (Johnson D-GA05) - Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement
• HR429 (Johnson-D-GA05) - Grand Jury Reform Act
• HR 1102 (Johnson-D-GA05) - Police Accountability Act

Team Accomplishments

• Organized alliances with National organizations and grassroots activists
• Monthly End Mass Criminalization conference calls (2nd Monday)
• Organized and participated in numerous events and Calls to Action
  • Panelist - The Human Cost of The Prison Industrial Complex
  • Organizer - Restoration of Voting Rights Symposium (Petersburg, VA)
  • BlogTalk Radio - Stolen Lives - The War on Drugs
  • BlogTalk Radio - Examining the War on Drugs - Good for Prisons, Bad for Communities
  • BlogTalk Radio - Meet Phillip Agnew, Dream Defenders - Fighting the School to Prison Pipeline
  • BlogTalk Radio - Ending Mass Incarceration - A Critical Human Rights, Civil Rights and Racial Justice Battle
  • BlogTalk Radio - Restoring Democracy - Voting After a Criminal Conviction

How You Can Get Involved

• Join our monthly conference calls (2nd Monday)
• Join our End Mass Criminalization Google Group
• Suggest Coalition Partners and Activities
• Visit our Community Action page

Coalition Partners
Drug Policy Alliance, ACLU, LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy,  Dream Defenders, Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged, Stop Mass Incarceration Network, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Family and Friends of Incarcerated People, Institute for Policy Studies, Peace Alliance, Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration, Social Solutions

Issue Team Leaders
Dr. Madeline McKenney Sadler, Exodus Foundation
Valencia Mohamed, New Columbia Times
Andrea Miller, Executive Director
Mara Cohen, Activist
Robert Dawkins, North Carolina SAFE Coalition, PDAction Advisory Board Member
Marc Carr, Founder Social Solutions, PDAction Board Member
Elliott Smith, Activist and speaker
Claude Conkrite, Activist and speaker
Rev. Terence Dicks, PDA Georgia State Leader