U.S. Catholic Conference Welcomes Criminal Justice Legislation
Federal legislation that seeks to reduce certain mandatory minimum sentences, reduce recidivism, and limit solitary confinement for juvenile offenders recently found favor with Archbishop Thomas Wenski, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development , and Sister Donna Markham, president of Catholic Charities USA. While noting that Pope Francis visited a Correctional Facility during his recent stay in Philadelphia, Archbishop Wenski said “We must try to ensure that sentences are just, while creating humane space in which individuals can restore their lives with the kind of support that reduces the chances that they will return to prison in the future. These reforms are a step in the right direction.” The bi-partisan “Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015” was introduced recently in the United States Senate. Read more…