Sentencing

Early release and recidivism in Washington state 

How Washington abolished parole and its failure to make communities safer

We are facing real threats to our communities, our freedoms, and our democracy. In this climate, positive change can seem like a fairy tale. It can be when you work alone. But we can make lasting progress when we rely on each other.

Reflecting on the 2024 legislative session and sustaining hope for transformative sentencing reform

The growth of Washington’s prison population stems largely from long and life sentences. This report examines the policies that fuel mass incarceration and the stories of those affected by them.

When a juvenile is caught using or sharing an illegal drug, what is the appropriate community response? Should he or she be arrested and charged with a crime, or should he or she receive public health services?

The War on Drugs has left thousands of people locked up under sentencing laws now widely viewed as discriminatory and not based in fact. An ACLU-WA brief is taking aim at the effects of an egregious Drug War policy: the lengthy sentences being served because of the government’s wrongheaded distinction between crack and powder cocaine, resulting in a 100:1 crack-powder disparity in sentences.

In a case (State v. Monday) that drew front-page coverage in today’s Seattle Times, the Washington Supreme Court has issued a strong ruling that racist comments by a prosecutor undermine the fundamental right to a fair trial.