As the five-year anniversary of this historic effort draws near, lawmakers are being briefed on the program’s outcomes. Last week, members of group Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration — which is comprised of current and former prosecutors, police chiefs, sheriffs, and corrections officers — took part in a congressional briefing and celebrated data showing the initiative is a success. Among the key findings by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ):On Dec. 21, 2018, former President Donald Trump signed into law the First Step Act (FSA), bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation aimed at reducing reoffending for individuals leaving federal prisons.
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“The analysis suggests that people released under the FSA have lower recidivism rates than rates estimated for similarly situated people (i.e., risk level and time since release from prison) released from federal prisons prior to the Act's implementation,” CCJ says. While receiving bipartisan support, the bill has received some mixed reaction. “It was the most meaningful federal sentencing reform in a decade, cutting away punishments that ruined lives but did little to improve public safety,” according to the Brenna Center for Justice. “Crucially, the law helps people prepare for reentry. It expanded access to substance abuse treatment and employment opportunities. It also promoted more humane prison conditions, placing people closer to their families, banning the shackling of pregnant women, and making menstrual products free for those in federal prison,” the center notes. “It was a proof of concept, in terms of both politics and policy. At a time when the two parties can’t agree on a lunch order, smart sentencing and prison reform have been rare opportunities for bipartisan agreement.” Then-congressman and current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis supported the legislation before announcing his candidacy for president in the 2024 election. In 2018, he voted for the bill. Now, however, he derides is as a “jailbreak bill” and vows to repeal it should he win the White House. “One of the things I would want to do as president is go to Congress and seek the repeal of the First Step Act. If you are in jail, you should serve your time. And the idea that they’re releasing people who have not been rehabilitated early so that they can prey on people in our society is a huge, huge mistake,” DeSantis said during an interview this summer with conservative personality Ben Shapiro.
