Representative Johnson has filed House Bill 1218 to help prostitutes break the cycle of incarceration and re-enter society by delaying a felony conviction for prostitution and encouraging participation in prostitution diversion programs.
“A criminal record, especially a felony, makes it difficult for individuals to access housing, food, and legal employment, making it more difficult to exit the lifestyle and end the cycle of re-offense and incarceration,” said Representative Johnson.
“Last session, I sent a similar bill to the governor’s desk, which, sadly, he vetoed. I hope to work with the governor this session to gain support for this bipartisan, common sense criminal justice reform measure,” said Representative Johnson.
Representative Johnson has also filed House Bill 1215 to address the issue of prison-based gerrymandering of districts. Currently, for purposes of redistricting, inmates are counted as residing in the district in which the prison they are incarcerated in is located, rather than the place they actually call home.
“Prison-based gerrymandering distorts our democratic process and artificially inflates district populations in a way that is not truly representative of the voting population,” said Representative Johnson.
