Action Alert: Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA)

The Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) sponsored by Senator Kristen Gillibrand (NY) and 39 other Senators will reach the Senate floor for vote within the next two weeks.  It will likely need sixty votes to become part of the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. 
 
This bill is critical to halting the plague of military sexual assault.  It creates an independent, objective and non-biased system of military justice by removing the decision to prosecute perpetrators of military sexual assault (and other felony crimes) from the accused’s chain of command and placing that decision in the hands of a properly trained military prosecutor. 
 
Under the current system, in which complaints are addressed within the chain of command, the accused’s commander has complete authority over the handling of cases, including whether to prosecute, whether to convene a court-martial, who to name to the jury, and if and what kind of punishment is warranted.  Moreover, because the commander often supervises both the victim and the accused, this decision-making poses a conflict of interest. 
 
This system has failed the victims of sexual assault and has failed to stop the growing incidence of military sexual assault.  Victims have said that they don’t come forward because they lack confidence in the system—they don’t think their complaints will get a fair and impartial hearing, they don’t think perpetrators will be held accountable and they fear they may suffer reprisals. 
 
 Please contact your Senators and let them know you favor the Military Justice Improvement Act and ask them to vote yes or better still to sign on as a sponsor. 
 
http//www.gillibrand.senate.gov/mjia.