Category Archives: Uncategorized

Petition to End the Government Shut Down

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Today marks day 14 of the partial government shutdown. It also marks the second week without pay for the 800,000 government workers and millions of others who depend on government agencies.

It’s unconscionable that Americans are being held as political hostages because of President Trump’s unreasonable pursuit for a border wall that we simply can’t afford and don’t need. As we have seen historically from Berlin to China, walls don’t work—they’re not an effective way to remedy our broken immigration system.

Sign our petition calling for an end to the government shutdown.
 

Add my name:

Many government workers have shared their #ShutdownStories. It’s clear that this shutdown has put them in an untenable position. Both Trump and Congress have a duty to the American people that exceeds whatever political leanings they may have. This shutdown is a disservice and a disgrace to our nation.

NAACP is calling on the White House and Congress to work swiftly and put an end to this shutdown in a way that does not compromise the integrity of our country. Add your name to join us.

Sincerely,

Hilary Shelton
Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy
NAACP

FIRST STEP ACT

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PRESIDENT SIGNS IMPROVED FIRST STEP ACT INTO LAW,
A MUCH-NEEDED BEGINNING IN EFFORTS TO REFORM AMERICAN SENTENCING, INCARCERATION, AND REHABILITATION LAWS

On December 21, 2018, President Trump signed an improved final version of the First Step Act into law. The final version of this legislation represents a much-needed beginning in efforts to reform our nation’s sentencing laws, prison terms, and create effective rehabilitation programs. This final legislation represents years of hard work by a bipartisan group of mostly Senators, who greatly improved the bill which was sent to them by the U.S. House of Representatives. The House version was solely a modest version of prison reform; it did not make any changes to who was sentenced to prison, why, or for how long. The final version was strongly supported and promoted by some staff leadership within the White House, and contains some of the suggestions of the NAACP Washington Bureau, and it offers some important improvements to the current federal criminal justice system. It falls short however of providing the meaningful change that is required to make the system fair. Much more work will be needed as we push for a transformational change that will end mass incarceration and racial and ethnic minority disparities in prisons throughout America. The First Step Act, however, is a good beginning. More information at https://www.naacp.org/latest/first-step-act-signed-law-see-everyone-voted/