Local jail incarcerations could be reduced under bipartisan Armstrong bill

U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) on Aug. 13 offered a bipartisan bill that would authorize $600 million in grants for local governments, in partnership with nonprofit organizations, to develop and implement a strategic plan to decrease local jail incarcerations. 

“Our bill will help reduce incarceration rates, lower recidivism, and keep communities safe by implementing common-sense bipartisan criminal justice reforms,” said Rep. Armstrong.

The Community First Pretrial Reform and Jail Decarceration Act, H.R. 5034, which Rep. Armstrong cosponsored with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-MD), would establish the new grant program at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to reduce the number of incarcerated people in local jails, reduce the number of days individuals are incarcerated in local jails, and support community-led local justice reinvestment, according to the text of the bill.

“A significant portion of incarcerated individuals in local jails are held in pretrial detention,” Rep. Armstrong said. “I am proud to work with Congressman Trone to make resources available for communities and local governments that empower them to make public safety decisions and reduce jail populations.”

According to an April 2019 report from the national Vera Institute of Justice, roughly two-thirds of the more than 740,000 Americans held in locally run jails are there awaiting trial and have not been convicted of a crime. Even short stays in jail pretrial may have negative consequences, such as job loss, losing child custody, and a higher chance of being convicted, receiving a harsh sentence, and being involved in the criminal justice system again, the report says. 

The DOJ grants authorized under H.R. 5034 could be used to establish policies and programs to reduce pretrial incarceration rates, including the elimination of cash bail, creating diversion programs, access to counsel, and other non-coercive decarceration efforts, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

The Vera Institute of Justice, the Bail Project, the National Association of Social Workers, Justice for Families, Interfaith Action for Human Rights, and the Law Enforcement Action Partnership are among numerous organizations that endorsed H.R. 5034.