Criminal Justice committee

The Committee on Criminal Justice  shall: (1) seek  to eliminate  harsh  and  unfair  sentencing  practices  that  are  responsible  for mass  incarceration  and  racial  disparities  in  the  prison  system, (2) support and  seek  to  increase  trust  and  public  safety  by  advancing  effective  law enforcement  practices,  (3) fight  for  the  restoration  of  the  voting  rights  of formerly  incarcerated  people  and  the  removal  of  barriers  to  employment, (4) elevate  the  voices of  crime  victim  survivors to identify  and advance  systemic  breakdowns  existing in the criminal  justice  system  that perpetuate   crime,   (5)   resolve to   end   the war   on   drugs for   its disproportionate collateral  consequences  harm communities  of  color,  (6) seek the   institution   and availability of alternatives to   incarceration including education,   employment,   and mental   health   services,  (7) eliminate zero  tolerance  policies implemented  in  our schools  which  are keeping kids  out  of the  classroom  and putting  them  on a  path  from the schoolhouse to the jailhouse, (8) investigate programs implemented in our local law  enforcement  agencies which  derail  from their  main  purpose of safety and order to conduct the work of federal agencies for which they do not have  the capacity,  and  (9)  seek budget  modifications  in states  where incarceration receives more funding than education.