U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) has spearheaded the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral FIRST STEP Act, prison reform legislation to rehabilitate America’s inmates and keep them from returning to prison once they’re released.
“What we have in the FIRST STEP Act is a rare legislative opportunity to fulfill the demands of justice today while reducing future burdens on the criminal justice system,” said Rep. Collins in a joint statement with the bill’s original cosponsors released on May 7.
“By implementing initiatives focused on rehabilitating individual men and women, we can promote human dignity in and beyond our prison system,” said Collins, who was joined by U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on May 7 in introducing H.R. 5682.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who introduced the bill in the Senate, said the FIRST STEP Act is modeled after successful prison reforms instituted in states like Texas and Georgia, which have sought to rehabilitate low-risk offenders for reentry into society. “This legislation will help shut the revolving door of recidivism to save taxpayer dollars and reduce crime,” said Sen. Cornyn, who was joined by U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in introducing S. 2795.
The FIRST STEP Act would enable the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to use federal resources to conduct risk-and-needs assessments for each offender upon sentencing, regardless of the crime committed, and then would offer individualized, evidence-based recidivism reduction plans to each inmate, according to a summary of the bill provided by Rep. Collins’ office.
Some of the recidivism programs that might be funded could include vocational training, educational support, substance abuse treatment, mental health care, anger-management courses, and faith-based initiatives, among others, according to the summary.
Additionally, the bill would permit individuals to serve the final days of their sentences in halfway houses or home confinement and would provide support as they transition out of custody, according to the summary. The BOP would conduct more frequent risk-and-needs assessments to document if individuals have reduced their risk of reoffending and to ensure ongoing resources, according to the summary.
Among several other provisions, the bill also would require prisoners to be confined in facilities located closer to their families. “This bill would reunite families, create skilled workers, make our streets safer and promote the well-being of people who will eventually rejoin society,” Rep. Collins added.
Noting that the nation’s mass incarceration epidemic has been 50 years in the making, Rep. Jeffries said that fixing America’s broken criminal justice system “will take an all-hands-on-deck effort from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. The FIRST STEP Act is a significant step in the right direction.”
Sen. Whitehouse agreed that the bill is critical toward adopting smarter policies throughout the criminal justice system. “This bill includes important provisions to treat prisoners battling addiction, like Rhode Island’s prison system has done. It will also help overhaul procedures that make it harder for former inmates to regain their footing,” he said.
H.R. 5682 has been referred to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, while S. 2795 has been referred to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.