Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Statement on Attorney General Sessions’ Reinstatement of Harsh, Discriminatory Sentencing Policies
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement regarding draconian drug sentencing guidance sent to federal prosecutors by Attorney General Jeff Sessions:
“Today’s announcement marks another distressing chapter in the Trump Administration’s misguided ‘law and order’ agenda. The guidance issued by the Department of Justice will do nothing to make communities safer and will only deepen the distrust between law enforcement officials and the communities they serve.
“Mandatory minimums promulgated by the failed War on Drugs have caused irreparable damage to communities of color across the country. In the California Legislature, I strongly opposed the ‘Three Strikes Law’ which has contributed to the mass incarceration of people of color for low-level crimes. By returning to these failed policies, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is effectively endorsing institutional racism.
“As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a senior appropriator, I will do everything within my power to resist the Trump Administration’s push to revive the failed War on Drugs.”
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