Brownsberger Calls for Drug Sentencing Reform to Address Poverty

Statement

Democratic 5th District candidate Will Brownsberger today called for the reduction of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes. Identifying excessive sentencing as an important contributor to the problem of poverty itself, Brownsberger has fought against the overuse of incarceration throughout his career as an attorney and legislator.

"As a member of Congress, I will work to reduce or eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes," Brownsberger said. "These excessive sentences are not only unjust to defendants and expensive for the taxpayers, but they have become an important contributor to the social problem of poverty itself."

"People living in poverty are disproportionally represented among the population of individuals incarcerated for drug crimes," Brownsberger added. "While we cannot back away from our commitment to safety and order in every community, we need to recognize that involvement in the criminal justice system is intrinsically harmful for defendants and do everything we can to reduce the frequency and duration of criminal justice involvement in poverty communities."

In the Massachusetts Senate, Senator Brownsberger has been active in defining and addressing this issue, introducing legislation such as "An Act eliminating mandatory minimum sentences related to drug offenses" (S.634), which is currently pending.

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