Washington, D.C., May 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- May 21, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Jim Forbes
Director of Communications, Prison Fellowship
703.544.8540 (office); 304.780.5628 (cell)
Washington, D.C.—Prison Fellowship, the nation’s largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for criminal justice reform, released the following statements prior to the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote on the FIRST STEP Act (H.R. 5682), scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, 2018:
“Of all the prison reform legislation floated in recent years, the FIRST STEP Act has the greatest chance of gaining consensus and achieving passage, but the window of opportunity is closing,” said James Ackerman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Prison Fellowship. “The time to act is now. By bridging partisan divides, the House can answer the country’s call to promote justice and protect our streets through a more restorative, effective prison system. Men and women behind bars are reaching out eager hands for tools to build better futures. Now is the time for the House to answer the country’s call to make federal prisons more effective and bring hope to the thousands behind bars who are ready for change.”
“As the full House votes on the FIRST STEP Act tomorrow, both Democrats and Republicans can be confident of the public’s support for meaningful, moral, and effective prison reform that will keep our communities safe and help those reentering society to pursue productive lives,” said Craig DeRoche, Senior VP of Advocacy and Public Policy for Prison Fellowship. “Taking this first step toward justice reform is a matter of human dignity and justice. America is eager for prison reform that protects communities and extends to all citizens the opportunity to choose a better life.”
The FIRST STEP Act uses an evidence-based approach to drive down the recidivism rate among federal prisoners. It requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop and apply a Risk and Needs Assessment System (RNAS) to identify a prisoner’s risk and assign them to appropriate evidence-based programming. In detail, it provides the following:
- Risk and Needs Assessment System: Directs the DOJ to develop and implement an RNAS—modeled after similar actuarial-based systems that have already been successfully used in state corrections—for use at intake and throughout a prisoner’s incarceration. The RNAS would determine a prisoner’s risk of reoffending, the driving forces behind that risk, and the programs that will have the most impact toward reducing that risk.
- Evidence-Based Programming: Directs the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to use determinations made by the RNAS to place prisoners in effective, evidence-based recidivism reduction programs such as substance abuse treatment, job skills training, mental health treatment, and GED classes. The legislation also directs the BOP to partner with nonprofit and private organizations to help provide programming.
- Pre-Release Custody Incentives: Incentivizes prisoners to meaningfully participate in programming by permitting them to earn time credits toward pre-release custody. Minimal-and low-risk prisoners, who earn pre-release custody credits through the successful completion of such programs and activities, would then be able to serve out the end of their sentence at one of the BOP’s Residential Reentry Centers, or on monitored home confinement.
Interviews with Prison Fellowship representatives will be available by request following Tuesday’s Vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Please call Jim Forbes at (703) 554-8540.
About Prison Fellowship
Prison Fellowship is the nation's largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for criminal justice reform. With more than 40 years of experience helping restore men and women behind bars, Prison Fellowship advocates for federal and state criminal justice reforms that transform those responsible for crime, validate victims, and encourage communities to play a role in creating a safe, redemptive, and just society.
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