SEATTLE – Millones de dólares han sido destinados en Washington a las campañas de cada una de las iniciativas de ley relativas a la verificación de antecedentes personales para la venta de armas. Pero, ¿quién está en cada lado del debate?

No se están disparando balas, pero sí retórica en la defensa que hacen los partidarios de cada uno de los proyectos. Una revisión atenta de quién respalda cuál, encuentra a coleccionistas de armas, instructores de tiro y grupos del Tea Party apoyando la I-591, que tiende a reducir los requisitos.

Es más diversa la coalición a favor de la I-594, que plantea hacer más estricta la verificación de antecedentes: son grupos de fe, médicos y educadores, así como la League of Women Voters of Washington (Liga de Mujeres Votantes de Washington).

Y en cuanto a los oficiales del orden público, ellos parecen estar divididos en el tema. Esto no sorprende a Brian O’Neill, ex oficial de policía en la división de pandillas, quien señaló que los policías se sienten más cómodos con las armas que mucha gente.

“Ya sabes, estas herramientas se vuelven herramientas con las que algunos se involucran mucho. Las políticas y la mentalidad cuentan para los oficiales de policía -dijo-, pero también está el aspecto de que tienen muchas más armas que una persona promedio, y no quieren ser leones domesticados.”

O’Neill opina que una pistola es, en sus palabras, “una pieza de una propiedad demasiado importante y peligrosa” como para no tener registro de ella. Agrega que una de las facetas más frustrantes de trabajar como miembro de la unidad de pandillas fue no poder rastrear las armas robadas. Pero la Asociación de Policías y Sheriffs de Washington manifiesta no estar convencida de que la ley I-594 vaya a cambiar eso.

Meredith Goldstein, defensora en Lake Washington High School, dice que ha estado siguiendo el tema desde un tiroteo que hubo en la Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle (Federación Judía de Great Seattle), en 2006, y las muertes por arma de fuego ocurridas en escuelas de todo el país.

“Sentí como que esta violencia está llegando a un pueblo cercano -narró Goldstein-. Y que si no hacía algo, nunca podría perdonarme cuando ocurriera la próxima tragedia. Y creo que hay mucha gente que se siente igual, y así es como se involucran.”

Goldstein es una presidenta de la PTA que ha ayudado a organizar foros sobre seguridad armamentaria y ha llevado el caso ante la Asamblea Legislativa de la PTA en Washington. Ella manifiesta su deseo de que hubiera algún punto medio en las propuestas sobre la revisión de antecedentes para comprar armas.

En la comunidad de la fe el Rabino Daniel Weiner, del Templo De Hirsch Sinaí, opina que es un asunto de equidad el de asegurar que toda persona que compre una arma pase por la misma revisión de antecedentes, medida que, en su opinión, actualmente es fácil de evadir.

“Cuarenta por ciento de las armas que se venden en el estado de Washington son vendidas fuera de libros -reveló-, por Internet o en exhibiciones de armas. Hablamos de que casi la mitad de las armas fueron vendidas sin vigilancia alguna de a quién se les están vendiendo.”

Se ha dado cierta confusión porque los números de las leyes son demasiado similares: ‘591’ y ‘594’. Ambos bandos quieren que la gente entienda a favor de qué están votando, dado que las iniciativas se contradicen mutuamente. Y con los ánimos encendidos en ambos frentes, incluso es posible que ambas leyes sean aprobadas.


get more stories like this via email

Mississippi prisons often lack resources to treat people who are incarcerated with substance-use disorders adequately but a nonprofit organization is offering alternative programs focused on treatment instead of incarceration.

The Magnolia State has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, with more than 1,000 people per 100,000 residents behind bars.

Christina Dent, founder and president of End It For Good, said they invite people to support approaches to drugs prioritizing life, preserving families and promoting public safety.

"We do education out in the community - with citizens, with advocates, with policymakers - to help them understand why a punitive criminal justice approach to drugs and addiction has not produced good results and why a health-centered approach would produce much better results," Dent explained.

It is estimated more than 578,000 people in state and federal prisons in 2022 had a substance-use disorder in the year prior to their admission, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

Dent emphasized they recommend lawmakers look at other alternatives to stop reactionary approaches resulting in Mississippians paying harsher penalties for crimes such as drug possession.

"Shift away from increasing penalties," Dent urged. "Another thing that we could do would be to reduce penalties or recategorize penalties for something like drug possession. We would love to see a shift from treating drug possession as potentially a felony to drug possession being a misdemeanor. "

Dent noted such an alternative approach would allow individuals impacted to more easily regain employment, support their families and reintegrate into society. She added felony convictions create lifelong barriers to employment and self-sufficiency.


get more stories like this via email

April is Second Chance Month and many Nebraskans are celebrating passage of a bipartisan voting rights restoration bill and its focus on second chances.

Legislative Bill 20 restores voting rights to those convicted of a felony upon completion of their sentence, eliminating the two-year waiting period.

Jason Witmer, policy fellow at the ACLU of Nebraska, said the change will promote success for formerly incarcerated Nebraskans. He pointed out it also will increase the likelihood of the state meeting the objectives Gov. Jim Pillen and the Department of Corrections have committed to.

Nebraska became the fourth state to join "Reentry 2030," a national initiative of the Council of State Governments focused on strengthening programs and removing obstacles for those reentering society after incarceration.

"The more somebody can have their rights in place for them, the more invested they are in the society," Witmer contended. "The more invested you are in your community and your society, the more likely you are to succeed. And the right to vote is fundamentally part of reintegrating into society. It's your civil voice."

Reentry 2030 aims to have all 50 states commit to improving outcomes for formerly incarcerated people. Nebraska's goals include increasing GED completion and college coursework by those in Nebraska prisons, and reducing recidivism 50% by 2030.

Pillen allowed the measure to become law but stated it contains "potential constitutional issues" which could lead to a legal challenge.

Nebraska's recidivism rate for those who left prison between 2019 and 2022 was nearly 30%.

Witmer noted it is at least partly attributable to the challenges people face upon leaving incarceration.

"You did the time, and then you come out and find out, 'Oh, I can't vote. Oh, housing is almost impossible to get. Oh, I can't work here,'" Witmer outlined. "Suddenly you don't feel like you're a part of any of this."

Across the country, 37 other states restore voting rights to those charged with a felony either immediately after incarceration or after completing parole or probation. Two states and the District of Columbia allow people to vote while incarcerated.

A new website aims to help Kentuckians just out of prison re-enter their communities and find job training, employment and recovery services.

April is Second Chance Month - and according to the Prison Policy Initiative, about 60% of formerly incarcerated individuals are jobless.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the website - secondchance.ky.gov - is meant to cut bureaucracy around job searching, and tie resources together in one spot to make it easier for people to get back on their feet.

"We are not our worst day," said Beshear. "When we look at how many people have a criminal record in Kentucky, this is the right thing to do. But it's also necessary from a workforce standpoint."

In 2021, lawmakers passed legislation that tasked the Kentucky Department of Corrections with issuing certificates of employability to people who successfully complete programs while incarcerated.

It also helps increase access to state-issued IDs for those leaving prison.

The website includes information on resume help, job searches and local reentry services.

Beshear said eventually, the site will contain a comprehensive list of employers - such as Kentucky State Parks, which is a participant in second chance employment.

"If they need to find resources on how to get that next level of education or workforce training," said Beshear, "and then ultimately be able to see a list of employers that are willing to look at them for second chance employment."

Businesses in the Commonwealth can also find information about programs that can aid in hiring and retaining more second-chance employees - including the Fair Chance Academy, Kentucky Transformational Employment program, Prison-to-Work Pipeline, and Jobs on Day One programs.