Changing Punishments for Property Offenses, to Change the Lives of Women in Need

In 2014, many states revisited disproportionately high sentencing schemes for low-level property offenses. Voters in states across the country rallied in favor of reductions in penalties for low-level, nonviolent property offenses, such as theft, check fraud, and larceny. Bipartisan efforts to ease the financial burden of incarceration have lead to criminal justice reforms in states like California, Oregon, and Mississippi. Advocates for women in the criminal justice system have embarked on campaigns to frame reforms as not just a cost-cutting measure, but also as a moral imperative. For many women, primarily women with little money, relatively low-value property offense convictions can lead to devastatingly disproportionate consequences, such as the trauma of incarceration and the marginalization that follows a serious criminal record. The tremendous sanctions that currently exist for low-level nonviolent property offenses have sparked a call among advocates for policy change. Women-centered campaigns argue for greater nuance in the justice system\u27s response to women charged with property offenses