8. Of the current bipartisan bills pending in Congress, which is your priority to see passed this year? (Please select one)

a. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, which would delay when federal employers may inquire about criminal history until later in the hiring process.

b. The Clean Slate Act, which would provide automatic record sealing for nonviolent, drug-related offenses for individuals who have remained crime free.

c. The REAL Act, which would remove the ban on incarcerated individuals accessing Pell Grants for higher education.

d. The Smarter Sentencing Act, which would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug possession offenses.

e. The Justice Safety Valve Act, which would allow judges to depart from harsh mandatory minimum sentences.

f. Other. __________________________

Vice President Joe Biden

c.     The REAL Act, which would remove the ban on incarcerated individuals accessing Pell Grants for higher education.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg

c. The REAL Act, which would remove the ban on incarcerated individuals accessing Pell Grants for higher education.

Senator Bernie Sanders

 f.      Other. 

Bernie’s Justice and Safety for All plan would “ban the box” nationally for prospective hires with a criminal history, would make expungement broadly available and expunge all past marijuana-related convictions, remove the ban on incarcerated individuals accessing Pell Grants, and end mandatory minimums. 

Senator Elizabeth Warren

d.  The Smarter Sentencing Act, which would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug possession offenses.

For four decades, we’ve subscribed to a “War on Drugs” theory of crime, which has criminalized addiction, ripped apart families — and largely failed to curb drug use. The federal prison population has grown 650% since 1980, and costs have ballooned by 685%. This explosion has been driven in large part by rules requiring mandatory minimum sentences and other excessively long sentencing practices, including for nonviolent drug crimes. These harsh sentencing practices are not only immoral, there is little evidence that they are effective -- and they have been particularly harmful for communities of color. As president, I’ll fight to change them.