Washington, DC— Prison Fellowship®, the nation’s largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, released the following statement after leading Christian organizations sent a letter urging Senate Judiciary Committee leadership to quickly take up the EQUAL Act and work to end the federal crack powder cocaine disparity. The letter was signed by Prison Fellowship, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Prison Ministry Coalition, Center for Public Justice, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology, National Association of Evangelicals, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and National Latino Evangelical Coalition.
Led by Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-NJ) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) and Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rob Portman (R-OH) in the previous Congress, the EQUAL Act has been endorsed by the National District Attorneys Association, FAMM, Americans for Prosperity, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Justice Action Network, ACLU, and a variety of conservative, faith-based, law enforcement, and civil rights organizations. During the 117th Congress, the bill gained over 75 bipartisan cosponsors, and passed the House of Representatives in September 2021 in a decisive 361-66 vote. Despite reports of promising bipartisan negotiations in December 2022, federal lawmakers ultimately failed to address the disparity between federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing.
This inaction occurred despite broad support for the EQUAL Act, which would eliminate inconsistent treatment of federal crack and powder cocaine offenses and allow for individualized resentencing for federal prisoners currently incarcerated for crack cocaine crimes.
“Prison Fellowship stands witness to the impact of unjust federal sentences related to crack cocaine,” says James Ackerman, Prison Fellowship President and CEO. “We are thankful that Christians leaders are bringing their biblical values to the public square and seeking the total end of this unscientific and unjust disparity in sentencing.”
“The crack powder cocaine disparity has brought lasting harm to Black American communities—all while failing to meaningfully curb drug crime,” says Heather Rice-Minus, Prison Fellowship Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. “Church and ministry leaders refuse to allow the U.S. Senate’s failure to pass the EQUAL Act in 2022 to be the final word. We urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to quickly take up and pass this commonsense effort to bring greater fairness and consistency to federal sentencing.”