A bipartisan group of three senators reintroduced a prison reform bill Thursday, which builds off of reform at the state level.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah, and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island introduced the Corrections Oversight, Recidivism Reduction, and Eliminating Costs for Taxpayers In Our National System Act — which was first introduced in 2015.
The senators have re-upped the bill just weeks after a sentencing reform bill was reintroduced, and a day after a group of law enforcement leaders sent a letter to President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging the two to join in on bipartisan criminal justice reform.
The CORRECTIONS Act requires the Department of Justice and its Federal Bureau of Prisons to assess a way to lower inmates recidivism rate. It also calls for lower-risk inmates to be put in less-restrictive conditions to reduce prison costs and allow for more resources to be shifted to law enforcement. The legislation also expands recidivism-reduction programs, and requires the federal probation office to plan for re-entry of prisoners ahead of time.
“Texas has successfully implemented reforms that have reduced recidivism rates and saved taxpayer dollars,” Cornyn said in a statement. “The CORRECTIONS Act builds off this model by fostering partnerships with faith- and community-based organizations to help better prepare low-risk offenders to become productive members of society. I hope the Senate can follow Texas’ lead and implement these commonsense, bipartisan reforms.”
The Justice Action Network praised the bill as adding to “Left and Right” momentum for criminal justice reform in Congress.
“The reintroduction of the CORRECTIONS Act proves that bipartisan support for justice reform is alive and well in Congress, and we look forward to working with these and other members to enact meaningful sentencing and corrections reforms. More than two dozen states have already enacted reforms that reduce recidivism and crime rates. Congress should follow their lead, and take action on criminal justice reform as soon as possible,” said Holly Harris, the justice reform group’s executive director.
