We need federal criminal justice reform
In recent years, lawmakers across the political spectrum have realized that we can save taxpayer dollars and reduce crime by preventing people from cycling through prison and jail.
After major criminal justice reforms in states across the country, the Trump administration is now showing support, and we have the chance to change outdated laws.
As an assistant district attorney, I prosecuted cases in Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and White counties. I watched our state invest hundreds of millions of dollars to lock up Tennesseans at a rate 22 percent above the national average. But after people got out of prison, we often saw them again in court on new charges.
Our state was failing to invest in services that get people on a positive path after their release: drug treatment, mental health care, job training or just getting an ID card. We all benefit when people leave prison better off than they went in, and that’s not the case in Tennessee.
The problem is even worse at the federal level.
Almost half of the people in federal prison are serving time for drug offenses.
Congress created mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, which force judges to give five, 10 or 20-year sentences, without weighing the unique circumstances of the case and even when they know it is counterproductive to the offender’s long-term success.
Long sentences are particularly poor investments because when most people pass the age of 30, they “age out” of committing crime. Unfortunately, politicians love to support these long sentences, because it makes them sound “tough on crime.”
Texas, Georgia and South Carolina are pointing us in the right direction. All three states have replaced their old, wasteful sentencing laws with new laws that focus on incarcerating the offenders who actually pose a risk to the community.
With these laws in place, they have significantly reduced their prison populations and watched their crime rates fall.
Now the Senate plans to move a bill to fix problematic federal laws as well. The bill combines the FIRST STEP Act, a prison reform bill passed by the House, with provisions that lower mandatory minimum sentences for people with nonviolent felony drug convictions.
President Trump held an event with Republicans and law enforcement groups, where he announced his endorsement of the bill and asked lawmakers to get it to his desk before the end of the year.
Supporting this comprehensive reform package would enable Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker to take the lead on an issue that has national attention and constituent support.
I hope our senators will take advantage of this opportunity to improve public safety and lessen the burden on taxpayers.
Now is the time to follow the states and pass this criminal justice reform package.
Allison Watson is a former assistant district attorney for the 13th Judicial District of Tennessee. She is a speaker for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), a nonprofit group of prosecutors, police and judges who support criminal justice solutions that will improve public safety.