I am a person who has experienced the harsh reality of our justice system firsthand. I have spent time in jails and prisons for what are deemed crimes, yet these were instances where there was clearly no victim involved. These personal experience’s has kept me locked up in cages, caused me to have to endure humiliating experiences such as strip searches, and kept me from my family, and my young children at that time. Throughout all of these experiences, it has led me to the belief that our current system is flawed and needs urgent reform.

In the United States, countless individuals are incarcerated each year for so-called 'victimless crimes.' These include offenses such as drug possession, gambling, and other non-violent activities where there is no clear victim. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, over 450,000 people are held in detention centers across America each day without being convicted of a crime (Prison Policy Initiative).

The consequences of this approach are far-reaching. It not only impacts those incarcerated but also their families and communities. The financial burden on taxpayers is immense - it costs an average of $31,286 per inmate per year (Vera Institute of Justice). Moreover, this practice disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

We need a shift in policy that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment for these types of offenses. These are moral offenses and not crimes to humanity. And we need to stand up and force those in office to make the changes that would take us back to common laws, instead of this admiralty law they are subjecting millions of Americans to. We have to stand up and force those ( the elected officials), who are supposed to be working for us (the people), to revise these laws that are leading to needless incarceration for victimless crimes.

Please join me in calling upon the United States government to stop incarcerating individuals for crimes where there are no victims. Your signature can help bring about much-needed change within our justice system.