Resources Archives - Generation Progress

Five Abortion Stories That Show We Need to Increase Access

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 15:42:25 +0000

While abortion remains legal in all 50 states, decades of challenges to Roe v. Wade by anti-abortion groups and lawmakers have made it so many people aren"t able to access their right to bodily autonomy. Through medically unnecessary restrictions people of color, rural communities, young people, LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, immigrants, and those struggling to make ends meet have been most affected.

In 2021, Generation Progress partnered with We Testify to launch the below Instagram series that outlines some of the root causes of reproductive oppression. The experiences show how five women navigated these barriers while accessing abortion care.

The right to abortion isn"t real if only some people can access it. If you agree, join us by demanding lawmakers pass a proactive abortion agenda.

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FACT SHEET: Life Without Parole Is Inhumane

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 15:07:12 +0000

Life without parole is an inhumane punishment that no one deserves, but–as of December 2018–over 53,000 incarcerated people are serving life without parole in U.S. prisons. Unlike other prison sentences, life without parole eliminates the possibility of release. In practice, it is another kind of death sentence–one that means a slow death in prison and a likely shortened lifespan: each year of incarceration reduces a person"s life expectancy by two years.

Click to view PDF.

Life without parole is also a racial equity issue. As is often the case in the criminal legal system, people of color are disproportionately sentenced to life without parole, making up 67.5 percent of those sentenced to life in 2016. Moreover, in 2018, Black Americans made up two-thirds or more of people sentenced to life without parole in nine states: Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, and South Carolina. Life without parole is a punishment that takes young people of color and permanently separates them from their communities. And it"s getting worse: between 2003 and 2016, life without parole sentences increased by 59 percent.

SOLUTION

Life without parole sentences contribute to mass incarceration. In 2020, there were a total of 2.3 million incarcerated Americans in a prison system that costs taxpayers approximately $80 billion a year. Life without parole sentences exacerbate this issue by making it impossible for a portion of the prison population to ever see freedom, even if their continued incarceration is unnecessary. But it doesn"t have to be this way. By eliminating life without parole sentences, we can make the legal system more just and shrink a criminal legal system that has grown out of control since the 1970s.

Ask your state legislators to eliminate life without parole as a sentencing option.
Do your research on judges with a record of handing down life without parole sentences. While legislatures usually determine whether LWOP is an available sentencing option, judges often have the final say in sentencing for a given case. In many states, judges are elected to their positions by the public.

Everyone deserves a second chance. It"s up to our generation to make sure that everyone gets it.

TAKE ACTION

Use our tool to call on your legislators to shrink the criminal legal system by ending mandatory minimums. Your elected state officials control a large portion of what causes mass incarceration PLUS they can determine how this system operates. Changing state laws and policies can reduce the number of people who go into the criminal legal system and mitigate the harms of those already involved with the system. Tell lawmakers you demand action.

The post FACT SHEET: Life Without Parole Is Inhumane appeared first on Generation Progress.

FACT SHEET: We Need to Repeal Mandatory Minimums

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 18:05:53 +0000

In both state and federal courts, mandatory minimum sentencing laws force judges to hand down prescribed prison sentences for certain crimes. The punishment dictated by mandatory minimums is often much harsher than punishment for crimes without mandatory minimums. In 2017, the United States Sentencing Commission found that, on average, defendants convicted of a crime carrying a mandatory minimum received a prison sentence almost four times longer than the average sentence length of defendants convicted of other crimes.

Mandatory minimums also prevent judges from exercising discretion and considering relevant circumstances in each case. Even if a judge believes that a defendant deserves leniency, they are required by law to impose the mandatory minimum sentence.

Click to view PDF.

Finally, mandatory minimums are not enforced equally. Statistics show that prosecutors are twice as likely to seek a mandatory minimum sentence for Black defendants as for white defendants. Keeping in mind that Black Americans are incarcerated at over five times the rate of white Americans, it"s clear that mandatory minimums pose a major threat to the freedom of Black communities.

SOLUTION

The only way to solve mass incarceration is to solve our problem with sentencing. At the end of 2019, there were a total of 1,435,500 people incarcerated in federal and state prisons. That"s 437 people per 100,000 residents. By repealing mandatory minimums, we can reduce both the number of people who enter prison and the length of their stay, shrinking the criminal legal system overall and saving taxpayers approximately $33,000 per person a year.

TAKE ACTION

The post FACT SHEET: We Need to Repeal Mandatory Minimums appeared first on Generation Progress.

FACT SHEET: We Need to Cap Probation & Parole Terms

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 20:47:59 +0000

Across the country, there are an estimated 4.5 million people on probation or parole. Of this population, about 30 percent of people are Black, despite Black people comprising only about 13 percent of the total population of the United States.

Probation is a court-imposed sentence that is viewed as an alternative to sending someone to jail or prison. While on probation, a person must abide by extensive rules, called "conditions of probation," which may include a curfew, steady employment, and frequent visits to their probation officer.

People on parole are similarly required to follow an extensive set of rules, but parole, the conditional release from incarceration before the full completion of their sentence, occurs after someone is released from prison, rather than instead of prison.

For both probation and parole, a violation of a condition of supervision can result in the person being incarcerated in jail or prison or an extension of the length of their community supervision. Such violations can include:

Not answering a phone call from a parole or probation officer
Violating curfew, even if for a legitimate reason (e.g., working a double shift)
Moving without notifying the parole or probation officer

Often touted as alternatives to incarceration, parole and probation are actually tools that feed mass incarceration. Rather than increasing a person"s likelihood of success, probation and parole can interfere with a person"s ability to gain and maintain steady employment, enroll in school, and break free from the cycle of crime and incarceration. A recent report found that "most people locked up for supervision violations were not convicted of new offenses–rather, they were incarcerated for breaking the rules of their supervision."

Click to view PDF.

SOLUTION

A study found most people that recommit a crime will do so within the first two years of supervised release. Capping probation and parole terms so that they do not exceed two years would make sense both because it would confine the sentence to the period of time when a person is more likely to reoffend and because it would prevent long parole and probation terms from feeding mass incarceration.

TAKE ACTION

The post FACT SHEET: We Need to Cap Probation & Parole Terms appeared first on Generation Progress.

America's College Promise State-by-State Fact Sheets

Emily Leach — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 16:27:32 +0000

College in America is inaccessible and unaffordable–so much so that fewer than half of adults ages 25 to 34 have an associate degree or higher. That number is even lower among Black Americans, Latinx Americans, low-income people, and people with disabilities.

Broad cancellation of student debt through executive action is good for the economy and should be implemented immediately as a tool for economic stimulus and recovery. Alongside catalyzing economic growth, student loan cancellation will also positively change the trajectory of borrowers" lives. However, student debt cancellation alone will not end the student debt crisis. Congress must also address the prohibitive cost of college to ensure that the cycle of debt does not continue.

Debt-free college legislation will prevent students from choosing between higher education and basic necessities. It will allow students the freedom and financial stability to contribute to the economy, purchase homes, start small businesses, have reproductive freedom, and more.

Check out our fact sheet on the need for federal action on free college legislation, and learn even more in these state-by-state America"s College Promise fact sheets, drafted in collaboration with the Center for Law and Social Policy, Jain Family Institute, National Consumer Law Center, and other members of Generation Progress"s Higher Ed Not Debt (HEND) campaign.

You can also take action to tell Congress to pass free college legislation and cancel student debt!

The post America's College Promise State-by-State Fact Sheets appeared first on Generation Progress.

FACT SHEET: We Need to Make College Free

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 18:22:36 +0000

Forty-five million Americans are currently saddled with student loan debt–and Black, Brown, and low-income people are disproportionately impacted. We need President Biden to keep his campaign promise of broad-based student debt cancellation, but in order to end the student debt crisis for good, Congress must address the cost of college to ensure that the cycle of debt does not continue.

Click to view PDF.

Nationally, there are huge attainment gaps between racial groups and economic classes.
Systemic racism and factors like generational poverty, redlining, racist banking policies, educational segregation, the racial wealth gap, and the school-to-prison pipeline mean that Black students are more likely to need to borrow, borrow more, take longer to pay off student loans, and face default.
A low-income student is four times less likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than their wealthier peers.
Students with disabilities earn bachelor’s degrees at less than half the rate of adults without disabilities.

People with a college degree are more likely to have higher-paying and better quality jobs, better benefits at those jobs, and the ability to access resources that positively impact their health and community. A college degree can be a ticket out of the cycle of poverty and into middle-class jobs–but only if that degree is accessible in the first place.

SOLUTION

Debt-free college legislation that accomplishes the following would truly transform higher education and go a long way towards making it accessible to everyone. These solutions must be made accessible to undocumented students, incarcerated students, and all who are traditionally excluded from most financial aid policy.

Double the maximum Pell grant: nearly 7 million low- and middle-income students rely on Pell grants to attend college. The current maximum Pell Grant covers less than one-third of the cost of attending a four-year college. Exclude for-profit institutions from eligibility.
Make community college and 4 years of college at public universities, MSIs, HBCUs, and Tribal Colleges free.
Create federal-state funding partnerships, which would help undo years of state disinvestment in public higher education, a factor contributing to the student debt crisis.
Cover the living expenses of students to prevent the need to take out loans and address the resource gaps that "tuition-only" legislation fails to consider.
Address racial inequities in college affordability by investing in HBCUs and MSIs and expanding financial aid eligibility to DREAMers.
Invest additional federal funds on evidence-based student success strategies to improve retention and completion rates.

Find additional resources in the Center for American Progress" "6 Actions Congress Should Take on Higher Education in 2021." The time for transformative college affordability legislation from Congress and broad-based debt cancellation from President Biden"s administration is now.

The post FACT SHEET: We Need to Make College Free appeared first on Generation Progress.

ACTION TOOLKIT: Debt-Free College for All

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 18:21:53 +0000

The fact that millions of Americans, particularly Black and Brown and low-income borrowers, are saddled with student loan debt is a shameful testament to the broken promise of the American dream. With the cost of college rising by over 1,000% from 1982-2012, and another 25% in the last 10 years, it’s no surprise that we’ve landed our country in a dire student debt crisis. Forty-five million student loan borrowers hold $1.7 trillion in debt and for many, there’s no way out from under the debt burden.

The heart of the debt crisis is the fact that higher education has become incredibly unaffordable and inaccessible due to decades of divestment from federal and state governments. Simultaneously, the cost of living and inflation continued to increase while wages stagnated.

A quality higher education shouldn’t only be accessible to the rich; cost should never be a barrier to an educational path and future. Debt cancellation and making college free are two sides of the same coin–both are key to making higher education equitable across racial, gender, and economic groups. #FreeCollege is a social, economic, and racial justice issue.

There are already several #FreeCollege proposals on the table. We have the momentum and a future without student debt is within our grasp.

If we take action, we can create change.

Amplify this on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post ACTION TOOLKIT: Debt-Free College for All appeared first on Generation Progress.

EVENT: How Fixing Our Broken Democracy Could Get Us Action on Climate Change

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 16:52:07 +0000

Did you know that passing pro-voter legislation can help us tackle climate change? To see progress on the urgent issues that our generations care about, like the climate crisis, we need a democracy that represents us all.

Congress can help us get there by passing critical bills like the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would protect voters from discrimination and voter suppression. By having a democracy that works and has all of our voices represented, we can begin to see real progress on the issues that matter most to us.

On October 15, 2021, Generation Progress and our friends hosted a virtual event where we discussed the ways that bold investments in climate, democracy reform, and voting rights are all deeply connected, and how we can all take action. Watch the recording:

Use the buttons below to join the movement.

The post EVENT: How Fixing Our Broken Democracy Could Get Us Action on Climate Change appeared first on Generation Progress.

TOOLKIT: Take Action to Fight Climate Change Now

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:55:03 +0000

The climate crisis threatens to destroy everything we know and hold dear by fueling an increase in more destructive climate catastrophes like rising sea levels, hurricanes, and uncontrollable wildfires. In addition, communities of color, low-income communities, and tribal communities– also known as frontline communities–are experiencing the worst impacts of climate change.

Young people care about the climate crisis. We know that our generations are going to be the most impacted by its devastating effects if urgent action isn"t taken quickly. The cost–in dollars, lives, and resources–of climate inaction far outpaces the cost of taking action now. As of July 9, 2021, National Centers for Environmental Information reports that the costs of extreme weather and natural disasters have cost the U.S. over $8B. It is critical that Congress invest in mitigation and prevention now to deliver on the commitments made in President Biden"s Build Back Better agenda and protect our futures.

Use the buttons below to learn more about the climate crisis and the many issues that intersect with it, and then take action by using our tool to email your elected representatives and demand they take bold action to solve the climate crisis.

Interested in learning even more? Check out these additional resources from the Generation Progress team:

The post TOOLKIT: Take Action to Fight Climate Change Now appeared first on Generation Progress.

RESOURCE TOOLKIT: Take Action to End Mass Criminalization & Incarceration

Tymoni Correa-Buntley — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 20:36:33 +0000

Our criminal legal system is hurting us. The U.S. represents just 5 percent of the world"s population, but it represents nearly 25 percent of the world"s prison population. The overuse of probation and parole, use of mandatory sentences, use of cash bail, and life without parole sentences are some of the many issues that have led to 6.7 million people being under correctional control in this country.

This is a system that disproportionately affects young people, and especially young people of color. Young people–those ages 18 to 35–make up only 30 percent of the U.S. adult population, yet they represent 60 percent of adult arrests and 42 percent of adult prison admissions. The consequences of an arrest or conviction can create lifelong barriers to accessing education, housing, and equitable employment opportunities. The impacts of this fall hardest on Black and Latinx communities and it has had a devastating impact on their long-term safety and stability.

But it doesn"t have to be this way. Your elected state officials control a large portion of what causes mass incarceration, plus they can determine how this system operates. State legislators, along with governors, can have the greatest impact on shrinking the criminal legal system and mitigating its harms.

Amplify this on Twitter and Instagram.

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