Statement for the National Council of Churches
By Reverend Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Associate General Secretary for Justice and Advocacy
The National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., founded in 1950, is a leading force for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States. The NCC’s 36 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox member denominations include almost 50 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation. Throughout its history, the NCC has been an advocate for justice in our society. The NCC, policy statement, “A Christian Call to Responsibility: Challenges to the Injustice of the Criminal Justice System,” adopted in 1979 concludes:
| “Christians recognize that it is an act of irresponsibility to leave untouched those policies, practices, and structures of our criminal justice system which jeopardize freedom, justice and order. Out of a commitment to the struggle for human dignity in all aspects of human relationships, Christians are compelled to express concern about injustices within the criminal justice system and for those victimized by them; and to seek changes that will produce and protect a state of justice in the administration of the criminal justice system.” |
When Congress passed mandatory minimum sentencing laws for certain drug offenses, the goal was to reduce the incidence of crime with the threat of incarceration. The legislation removed the ability of judges to exercise any discretion based on the unique facts of each case. The result has been an ineffective, expensive, and overloaded prison system, which manifests systematic racism and classism. Criminal justice statistics reveal:
| - Our nation incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world. - There are more than 2 million people incarcerated in the U.S at a cost of more than $20,000 per person per year. - Sixty percent of federal prisoners are drug offenders. - Mandatory sentencing has a disproportionate impact on people of color. - African Americans represent 15% of drug users and nearly 75% of those sentenced to prison for drug offenses. |
We commend Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her courage and commitment to change this legislation. We pledge our support in this effort because the mandates of scripture require us to lift our voices whenever and wherever we see injustice perpetuated in our society. We stand with all those today who call for an end to mandatory sentences because the practice creates egregious injustices and does not resolve the problems it was established to address.
The NCC does not suggest that punishment is never warranted; but punishment should fit the crime. The application of mandatory minimum sentencing laws has resulted in great injustice. We must answer the question of the prophet Micah—“…What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”