Hi everyone!
I found out today through an organization called Families Against Mandatory Minimums or FAMM, that a mandatory minimum bill that Representative Mary Wolfe drafted up has been sitting idle for the last year and is still effective until May 20, 2020. So we got some work to do!
Along with the petition, I’m now in need of anyone and everyone calling or emailing the government officials below telling them you support HF 545!
I can link the bill, but basically is drops the mandatory minimums from 70% to a 50-70% for crimes committed prior to July 1, 2019. This allows for Benjamin, and others, to have a chance to go before the parole board at 50% of his sentencing instead of 70%.
I will be calling them next week to ask for an in person meeting to discuss mandatory minimums and prison reform. Below is the contact information for Mary Wolfe and Zach Nunn, who has previously supported prison reform bills. I also drafted up verbiage for everyone to send in their email or points to make when calling to support HF 545.
Thank you, again, for everyone’s help, love and support! Please reach out if it you have any questions! We got this!
Mary Wolfe: mary.wolfe@legis.iowa.gov
Capitol Phone: 515.281.322
Zach Nunn: zach.nunn@legis.iowa.gov Capitol Phone: 515.281.337
Copy and paste the italicize part into your email to who ever you are writing. Don’t forget to put your name at the bottom!
Dear Senator Nunn,
Dear Representative Wolfe,
I'm writing today to ask you to support, without amendment, HF 545 which will make many needed improvements to Iowa's mandatory minimum laws and help prison reform.
Iowa prison systems need to reduce mandatory minimums especially for robberies. The Iowa Public Safety Board reports that:
-Offenders with robbery charges are not a public safety threat to society. -Offenders with these charges have low recidivism. -The board since 2013 has recommended that the mandatory minimum prison term for first-degree robbery be reduced to seven years and for second-degree robbery, three years. -They fail to take into consideration the offender’s role in the crime or criminal history. -Iowa is the only state in the Midwest that has established mandatory minimum sentences for robbery-related offenses.
The HF 545 fixes these problems in our state code.
Please support passage of HF 545 in its current form as soon as possible!
Thank you,
Sincerely,
your name
City, state