Views from the nation’s press

The Los Angeles Times on how criminal justice reform is alive thanks in part to conservatives:

Congress eliminated parole from the federal criminal justice system in 1984, but it didn’t completely do away with postrelease supervision. About three of every four people leaving federal prison remain under supervision, often for years, and often for no good reason.

A transition period to ensure successful reentry into society after prison makes sense. But federal supervised release — a parole-like period of restrictions post-prison — lasts too long and is too expensive. It makes little distinction between those who are at high risk to break the law again and those at negligible risk. And there is mounting evidence that the longer supervision goes on, the greater the chance that the former prisoner will get into trouble again. The extended lack of real freedom interrupts transition to responsible post-prison behavior.

The Safer Supervision Act is a bipartisan bill that would shorten post-prison supervision upon a showing that public safety would not be negatively affected.

It is similar in spirit to the First Step Act, another bipartisan federal criminal justice reform that was signed into law in 2018 by President Trump. The act reduced excessive federal prison sentences while encouraging rehabilitation. It was one of the few truly bipartisan successes in years, a result of efforts by CNN commentator Van Jones and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey.

And, importantly, reform-oriented Republicans . ...

Today’s election-year posturing has clouded the facts and original politics of criminal justice reform. Some elected Democrats, fearing for their political lives, embrace false connections between smart reforms and periodic spikes in crime. Some Republicans betray the conservative reform principles ... to seek backing from law enforcement and other groups that see political gain in embracing fear.

But even law enforcement organizations such as the Major Cities Chiefs Assn. have joined with prosecutors, defense lawyers, religious groups and progressive reformers to embrace the Safer Supervision Act.

Truth be told, the reform doesn’t go far enough. But that’s no reason to reject it. The First Step Act made it clear by its name that more reform steps were needed. But they are to be taken one at a time, ... Passing the Safer Supervision Act is a step that Congress ought to take now.