• 2013-14 Legislative Session: “Bad Bills”

The “Bad Bills, which add more costs and penalties to people already incarcerated, include:

• HB2386
• HB2134
• HB2383
• HB2384
• HB2385

These bills have died at the end of the 2013-14 legislative session, but could return in the 2015-16 session.

• Campaign against Life-without-Parole sentencing

  (look for an update soon)

• Campaign to stop new prison construction

  Also see:

  • “Pennsylvania’s addiction to prison-building a moral, economic disaster” (LVL: Oct. 12, 2014)

• ACLU Bill Tracker

  ACLU tracks Pennsylvania bills on several topics related to criminal justice, including

  • Criminal Justice Reform
  • Death Penalty
  • Drug Policy Reform
  • Due Process
  • Police Practices
  • Prisoner’s Rights
  • Racial Justice

  The bill tracker includes a summary of the bill’s provisions, it’s status in the legislative process, ACLU’s position (for or against the bill), and sometimes other commentaries. (Use the pull-down menu to see bills on a specific topic.)

• Death Penalty

  • Links to U.S. and State organizations working to end the death penalty

• Solitary Confinement

  • Entombed: Isolation in the US Federal Prison System (PDF report)

PACC-MPA website has information about legislation, educational resources, and advocacy on many different topics, including these:

• Death Penalty

• Criminal Justice

SiX, which prepares model legislation for state legislators, is intended to be a progressive alternative to the corporate-funded ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council). SiX is focusing on two areas of legislation: Carbon Reduction and Criminal Justice Reform.

• Criminal Justice Model Legislation

  • Repeal Stand Your Ground
  • Electronic Recording of Interrogations
  • Prohibit Profiling
  • Bail Reform

• NPR commentary about SiX