Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has signed a criminal sentencing reform bill into law.
The new law will give judges more discretion in sentencing people convicted of a robbery, plus some NON-VIOLENT drug offenders may be released from prison early. Branstad says those are “reasonable” reforms — and he’s praising the state’s legal community, justice system and legislators for coming up with the compromise.
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Nearly 10 percent of the black men in Iowa are either in prison or on parole. Arnold Woods, Junior — the president of the Des Moines branch of the N-Double-A-C-P — calls the legislation a “great first step.”..
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Woods says sentencing reform advocates will press Iowa lawmakers for more action in 2017.
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The bill Branstad signed also makes the sentences for child endangerment tougher and children who’ve been abused will have a longer period of time to report the crime.
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