Latest

National: Christian, Policy Leaders Unite to End Poverty, Disenfranchisement A coalition of Christian leaders and policy experts met this month in an effort to develop policy suggestions to the Obama administration on issues that contribute to poverty, the Washington Post reported. One of the issues documented included restoring voting rights to citizens charged with felony offenses. Representatives of the group were scheduled to present their proposals to the Obama administration last week. The group was founded by progressive evangelical leader Jim Wallis and a former speechwriter for then-President George W. Bush and current Washington Post columnist, Michael Gerson. Minnesota: Formerly Incarcerated Resident Sent to Jail for Voting A 25-year-old formerly incarcerated citizen in Minnesota was sentenced to 30 days in jail for casting a ballot in the November election, the Associated Press reported. Eric Stephen Willems plead guilty to a gross misdemeanor of illegal voting and his original one-year sentence was stayed. He must also serve three years probation after his release. He stated that he must have forgotten being told when he was released from prison that he couldn't vote. In Minnesota, individuals are banned from voting until their sentence, including probation and parole, has been completed. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information -- e-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org.

For Immediate Release: February 26, 2009 For More Information: Bill Piper at 202-669-6430 or Tony Papa at 646-420-7290 Attorney General Eric Holder Says Obama Administration Will End Bush’s Policy of Arresting Medical Marijuana Patients and Providers In response to a reporter’s question yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department will no longer raid medical marijuana dispensaries in states where they are legal. His statement was the second time this month that the Obama Administration indicated they would discontinue President Bush’s controversial policy of arresting medical marijuana patients and providers. President Obama said on the campaign trail last year that he would end the raids. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided a medical marijuana dispensary in California on the day President Obama took office and raided several dispensaries on the day Eric Holder took office. Asked yesterday if such raids were going to continue, Holder said “No.” "What the president said during the campaign, you'll be surprised to know, will be consistent with what we'll be doing in law enforcement. He was my boss during the campaign. He is formally and technically and by law my boss now. What he said during the campaign is now American policy." In a statement a few weeks ago, a White House spokesperson said, "The President believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind." "Within 24 hours of taking office President Obama signaled his Administration would eliminate the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity and support federal funding for syringe exchange programs," said Ethan Nadelmann executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. "Now his attorney general is saying the Administration will let states set their own marijuana policies. While certainly not a high priority, it seems clear that the President wants to treat drug use as a health issue not a criminal justice issue."