EDWARD J. MARKEY | | 255 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING |
| | United States Senate
January 21, 2022 |
Thank you for contacting me regarding the joint resolution known as the "Abolition Amendment" (S.J.Res. 21). It was good to hear from you on this important matter.
On December 6, 1865, the U.S. Constitution's Thirteenth Amendment formally ended chattel slavery within the United States. But it did not end all forms of slavery, as the amendment allows slavery and involuntary servitude to exist as punishments for crimes for convicted persons. From post-Reconstruction criminal codes to the Jim Crow era to the war on drugs, this "except as punishment" clause drove the over-incarceration and subsequent forced prison labor of Black Americans, particularly Black men.
I am a proud original cosponsor of the Abolition Amendment, which would right this wrong. This resolution would amend the U.S. Constitution by adding a new Article prohibiting the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. The Article would take effect upon ratification by three-fourths of the states.
I believe the Abolition Amendment is an important step towards a long overdue transformation of our federal criminal justice system.
The Senate version is pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am not a member. I will be sure to keep your comments in mind should it or related legislation come to the Senate floor for consideration.
Thank you again for contacting me about this issue. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. To sign up for my newsletter, visit http://www.markey.senate.gov/newsletter. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Sincerely,
Edward J. Markey
United States Senator
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