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CONTACT: David Safavian 202.347.9388
Conservatives Praise Passage of Prison Reform Legislation;
Collins Bill Reflects Policy Proposals of the American Conservative Union
Alexandria, VA – May 9, 2018 – The American Conservative Union (ACU) and the American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) are pleased at the progress being made on prison reforms. Today, the House Judiciary Committee approved the First Step Act (H.R. 5682) on a strong bi-partisan vote of 25-5. ACU and ACUF have long recommended that federal prisons should focus on doing a better job preparing inmates for release.
Pat Nolan, director of the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform explained: “H.R. 5682 would be a major step toward making our communities safer by establishing programs that have been proven to reduce the number of prisoners who commit new crimes. And that means fewer victims, more ex-offenders becoming contributing members of society, and less cost to the taxpayers.”
David Safavian, ACU’s general counsel and deputy director of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform, noted: “Ninety-five percent of those currently incarcerated will return home eventually. Obviously, we want them to be better versions of themselves when they leave prison. The principles embodied in the First Step Act will help offenders do just that.”
“The First Step Act is the most significant step toward prison reform in over two decades of my work. It shifts the federal prisons from merely warehousing prisoners to preparing them to be good neighbors,” explained ACUF’s Pat Nolan.
Added Nolan: “The bill is designed to hold the prison bureaucracy more accountable by setting strict requirements for regular reports to Congress on the progress – or lack of it – made by the Bureau of Prisons.”
The mission of the American Conservative Union Foundation is to educate Americans about conservative solutions to the country’s most pressing problems. In the area of criminal justice, ACUF’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform embraces policies that improve public safety, reduce federal spending, and advance human dignity. Prison Reform is a high priority for ACUF and it has been highlighted at ACUF’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for several years. For more information, please go to our website.
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