1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose HB2256 (Hovis), HB2637 (Black), SB882 (Trent), SB894 (Carter), SB1294 (Nicola), HB2880 (Cook), HB3155 (Cook) would repeal the current minimum prison term structure and impose longer sentences for more individuals. Research shows that mandatory minimum prison terms do nothing to reduce crime. Increasing prison terms will have Missouri taxpayers paying more, without making our communities safer. It is important to note that anyone convicted of a dangerous felony already has to serve 85% of their sentence before becoming parole-eligible. These bills would impose substantially longer sentences on individuals convicted of nonviolent felonies, including passing a bad check, failure to pay child support, and many drug-related charges. Decades of research have shown that longer sentences don’t reduce crime—but they do cost Missouri taxpayers millions and worsen our already understaffed prison system. Over thirty states have repealed or reformed their mandatory minimum laws in the past two decades while keeping communities safe. Missouri should follow their lead—not waste resources on ineffective policies. That’s why national conservative criminal justice organizations, including the American Conservative Union, Right on Crime, and Unify Us, oppose this bill. The proposed changes would come at a high cost. Last year’s HB 862, which was nearly identical to HB 2256, carried a lofty fiscal note: when fully implemented, costs to the state were estimated at $280 million annually, requiring 130 additional full-time employees. HB 2637 will likely carry an even higher fiscal note, due to the more sweeping changes proposed in that bill. Missouri prisons continue to experience significant understaffing challenges, and the annual cost to incarcerate someone in Missouri has increased over $10,000 over the last ten years to $31,923. Especially at a time when the legislature is considering moving towards removing the individual income tax, we simply cannot afford these proposals. We should be supporting policies that would reduce our reliance on the corrections system, not compound it. Increasing minimum sentences will increase both the prison population and corrections costs without making our state safer. Please oppose these bills to expand prison terms.