The Center for Policing Equity released the following statement in response to Attorney General Sessions’ order for federal prosecutors to seek maximum charges for drug offenses:
“Attorney General Sessions’ latest order is a sad confirmation of his intention to erode the progress civil rights organizations have made to advance criminal justice reform over the past several years. His across-the-board mandate to federal prosecutors to seek the maximum punishment for drug offenses will undoubtedly have disproportionately negative consequences on the most vulnerable communities—the communities that most need our help. It is an affront to justice, a wound to public safety, and a stunning retreat from the wisdom that science and police executives have accumulated together.”