New Year's Resolutions

by Matt Kelley · 2008-12-31 06:05:00 UTC
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Happy New Year to everyone in the change.org community. We have an exciting year ahead of us, with a new President and strong momentum for reform across the criminal justice system. But the system isn't going to change without your help. Here are five ways you can resolve to bring reform to our broken system in 2009:

1. Write to state and federal lawmakers and tell them it's time to decriminalize marijuana, end mandatory minimum sentencing, devote police resources to preventing crime instead of arresting immigrants and non-violent offenders.

The Marijuana Policy Project has a map to learn about issues in your state and take action. The Sentencing Project invites you to call for Congress to fix the disparities in sentencing for crack cocaine. You can take action to stop executions, end the death penalty and more in the change.org action center. And you can create your own action here.

2.Donate books to prison libraries. Educational offerings in many prisons are sparse and the library shelves are bare, so even inmates with the motivation to improve themselves are denied access to educational materials. Dozens of organizations around the country provide books on request to prisoners and help to fill prison libraries with important resources. Most only accept paperbacks, and they especially need ‘how to' guides, dictionaries and books about African-American and Latin American history. Find a program near you.

3. Write to a friend or relative who is in prison - Do you know someone in prison or jail today? I hear from former prisoners again and again that when you go in, you learn who your real friends are. Take a moment to write to your friend behind bars. A quick letter could make all the difference.

4. Attend a play or a prison art show. Check out Rehabilitation Through the Arts, Prisonart.org or  the Prison Foundation for more on art behind bars.

5. Visit a prisoner or become a mentor or teacher. Visit Prisoner Visitation's website to learn more about visiting a prisoner without anyone else on the outside. Do you have a skill to share? Contact your state's Department of Corrections to offer your services.

Matt Kelley is the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project and a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter @mattjkelley.
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