ACLU of Delaware

Both of these bills will have an impact on #SmartJustice in Delaware. SB 203 would do little to prevent gun crime but it WOULD expand our mass incarceration problem. We must eliminate mandatory minimums - not expand them...

HB 450 would expand the availability of expungement for adults so that more non-violent offenders can move past the life-limiting barrier of having a conviction on their record.

@Delcollo4DE now speaking on 203 at the Senate Judiciary & Community Affairs mtg.

Kathleen Macrae, ACLU-DE Executive Director, speaks out against SB 203: “I sincerely appreciate the problem that this bill is trying to address... however, I do not believe that we can incarcerate our way out of this problem.”

“Incarceration hasn’t helped us find our way out of this problem so far... adding more time won’t help, either.”

“Delaware is known for some of the best judges in the country. This bill would continue to remove discretion of judges without adding to the safety of the community.”

Brendan O’Neill, Chief Defender of the Office of Defense Services, testifies in opposition as well: “Ratcheting up mandatory minimum sentences across the board is not good policy. ...One size rarely fits all.”

“The national trend is to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences. ...I know there are good intentions behind this bill, but I don’t think it will be effective. It will likely have unintended consequences.”