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The Mystery Behind the First Pace Act: How It Changed America's Prison System
The introduction of the FIRST STEP Act is of great significance in the criminal justice reform in the United States. The law was passed by the 115th U.S. Congress in December 2018 and signed into law by President Donald Trump. Its main purpose is to reduce recidivism rates, lower the federal prison population, and ensure that Public safety.
Legislative History of the Bill
The origins of the "First Pace Act" can be traced back to May 2018, when then-Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) first introduced a draft. This version focuses primarily on reducing recidivism through the development of risk and needs assessment systems. The bill requires the U.S. Attorney General to develop such a system and to create an evidence-based recidivism reduction plan.
Under the bill, prison administrators would use the National Risk and Needs Assessment System to categorize prisoners' risk of recidivism to help determine the appropriate sentence reduction program for each prisoner.
The bill received overwhelming support in the House of Representatives, ultimately passing with 360 votes in favor and 59 against. The bill was then submitted to the Senate, and after some discussion and revision, it was passed again by the Senate in December 2018 with 87 votes in favor and 12 votes against. The bill was then sent back to the House of Representatives and passed after being amended, and was ultimately signed into law by President Trump on December 21, 2018.
Voices of support and opposition
In the Senate, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and others joined together to push the bill, building bipartisan support. . However, the bill still faces opposition from some Republican senators, particularly over sentencing reform.
Although Trump was initially skeptical of the bill, an intense campaign by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, that included celebrity lobbying, ultimately won Trump over to the law.
Main legislative contents
The bill is divided into six parts, mainly including the establishment of a risk and needs assessment system, sentencing reform, and transformation support measures. These elements are designed to provide greater flexibility and opportunities for prisoners to gain early release by participating in reintegration activities.
The bill also expands compassionate release criteria for seriously ill patients and reauthorizes the Second Chance Act, which is intended to help prisoners reintegrate into society.
Early Success and Criticism of the Act
After the implementation of the law, many British media pointed out that more than 3,000 prisoners were released due to changes in the "good time credit calculation formula". However, critics say the Justice Department has failed to implement the bill effectively and has failed to allow more prisoners to enjoy the benefits of the bill.
Some critics believe that prosecutors at the Department of Justice have taken an adversarial stance on prisoners' requests for sentence commutations, making it impossible for many prisoners who want a reversal to get their wish fulfilled.
Challenges
In addition to the difficulties in implementation, the issue of funding for the bill is also
