Bipartite Senate Vote Moves the Criminal Justice Reform Bill Into Depth

The Senate voted Tuesday for radical criminal justice reform aimed at reducing the number of inmates in US prisons and reducing the rate of reoffending. The bipartisan vote of 87 to 12 to advance First Step law included all Democrats and Republicans except 12, offering a complete legislative advance to an unlikely coalition of supporters from all walks of life, ranging from American Union of Civil Liberties in Koch. brothers and the American Conservative Union. The bill, which aims to reduce the human and financial costs of mass incarceration, must now be approved by the House, which voted for a different version of the law earlier this year. House leaders promised to pass this bill this week and President Trump is committed to signing it.

"Once signed, thousands of inmates will be eligible for immediate reduction of their sentence and early extension. liberation programs, "reports the New York Times. "In the future, the effects will multiply as thousands of new offenders are sentenced to reduced sentences and enter a modified prison system."

In all, it includes four amendments to the federal sentencing legislation. Mandatory minimum sentences could be shortened for some non-violent drug offenses, including reducing the mandatory sentence from mandatory "three strikes" to 25 years. Another option would give judges more freedom to use safety valves to circumvent mandatory minimum sentences in some cases. The bill would also clarify that the so-called overlay mechanism that makes possession of a firearm when it commits a crime committed by another crime, such as a drug-related offense, should not occur. apply only to individuals who have already been convicted. Finally, the bill would allow offenders convicted of offenses before a reduction in 2010 of the gap between the sentences handed down between crack and cocaine powder to request that their records be re-evaluated. This provision could change the sentences of several thousand drug offenders with long sentences for crack and cocaine.

The vote is the latest in five years of prison reform in the country started under the Obama administration with the support of Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and President Paul Ryan. Senator Mitch McConnell, as majority leader, however, refused to allow a vote on the sentencing and correctional law before the 2016 election. Over the past year, Senate Republicans joined Councilor Jared Kushner at the White House to revive the effort with President Trump's approval. "The result of many years of negotiations, the bill represents a major pivot for the GOP, which adopted decades ago a rallying cry based on law and order and a campaign against the drug as crucial to getting votes, said the Washington Post notes. "But as the crime rate has gone down and states have looked for cost-effective ways to reduce the prison population, Congress has advocated changes to the system, with GOP lawmakers arguing for the rehabilitation of some offenders rather than the police. 39, long-term incarceration. " [ad_2]
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