Today, I heard some extremely disheartening news regarding a recent bill. It was a bill that made sense. It was a good idea that would have positively impacted several inmates' and their family's lives. If you haven't already caught on to which bill I'm referring to, it is what they've been calling the "second chance" bill. According to The Alabama Reflector, that bill needed more votes.
What was the "Second Chance" Bill Change?
The "second chance" bill, formerly known as HB29, introduced by Rep. England and under the jurisdiction of the Judiciary, was intended to(temporarily) amend existing sentencing laws in Alabama.
The bill would have offered individuals sentenced under the habitual felony offender law the opportunity for resentencing under specific conditions. Eligibility for resentencing would only apply to inmates sentenced to life without parole before May 26, 2000.
So, it would have given a "second chance" to inmates incarcerated almost 25 years for nonviolent crimes. This bill failed in a 49-48 vote, and they technically needed 59 votes to pass because of the circumstances.
Why Would Anybody, Left or Right, Vote Against This?
I don't understand. Alabama lawmakers, please explain your reasoning. This bill is a policy that should already be being done. Why would you not review cases involving nonviolent crimes that received excessive time that doesn't match the crimes? Somebody should do this every few years in every inmate's situation.
After all, things change. People are wrongly convicted; sometimes, they are rehabilitated or have grown up. It makes sense to review all cases post-sentencing. These ideas would have done ADOC some good, which it desperately needs.
Alabama's Over Crowded Prisons are Over 100% Past Capacity
So, 49 Republican Reps throughout Alabama must believe that the danger of these nonviolent criminals compromises the safety of Americans and that they must take preference over the individual's civil rights that are violated daily under ADOC custody. The conditions since the federal DOJ sued Alabama's state government for subjecting inmates to what they described as cruel and unusual punishment, and that is putting it mildly.
Even After That Touching Opinion Article
I thought for sure this bill was going to pass. Especially after reading that mother's opinion article saying she was praying for the bill to pass so her son, a nonviolent offender incarcerated for three decades, could return home to her.
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