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| House's sentencing reform bill plans to reduce mandatory minimums | |
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| A bipartisan group in the House of Representatives has unveiled sentencing reform legislation as a companion to a bill proposed in the Senate one week ago. | A bipartisan group in the House of Representatives has unveiled sentencing reform legislation as a companion to a bill proposed in the Senate one week ago. |
| The bill, which would reduce certain mandatory minimums for drug offences as well as reducing the “three-strike” mandatory life sentence to 25 years and broaden the safety-valve for low-level drug offenders, was proposed by members of the house judiciary committee Thursday morning. | The bill, which would reduce certain mandatory minimums for drug offences as well as reducing the “three-strike” mandatory life sentence to 25 years and broaden the safety-valve for low-level drug offenders, was proposed by members of the house judiciary committee Thursday morning. |
| Representative Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chair of the committee, said that even though he did not always agree on every issue with his Democratic colleagues, “criminal justice just isn’t a liberal or conservative issue - it’s an American issue.” | Representative Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chair of the committee, said that even though he did not always agree on every issue with his Democratic colleagues, “criminal justice just isn’t a liberal or conservative issue - it’s an American issue.” |
| John Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the committee, , said that he was “confident” that by working in tandem with the Senate committee, they could “move legislation through Congress and get it to the president’s desk for a signature”. Conyers is co-sponsoring the legislation along with Goodlatte, and representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Raul Labrador. | John Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the committee, , said that he was “confident” that by working in tandem with the Senate committee, they could “move legislation through Congress and get it to the president’s desk for a signature”. Conyers is co-sponsoring the legislation along with Goodlatte, and representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Raul Labrador. |
| Jackson Lee, the other ranking Democrat on the committee, pointed to the statistic that while America represents 5% of the world’s population, it has a quarter of the world’s prison population. | Jackson Lee, the other ranking Democrat on the committee, pointed to the statistic that while America represents 5% of the world’s population, it has a quarter of the world’s prison population. |
| She said that Democrats and Republicans were united in their desire to change a “system that is often more effective at creating criminals and collateral damage than justice”. | She said that Democrats and Republicans were united in their desire to change a “system that is often more effective at creating criminals and collateral damage than justice”. |
| As with the Senate bill, the changes would be applied retroactively. Unlike that bill, however, there is no provision for additional mandatory minimum sentences – which will encourage critics, who told the Guardian last week that they were worried about any addition of mandatory sentences. | As with the Senate bill, the changes would be applied retroactively. Unlike that bill, however, there is no provision for additional mandatory minimum sentences – which will encourage critics, who told the Guardian last week that they were worried about any addition of mandatory sentences. |
| Raul Labrador, a Republican member of the committee and a member of the “freedom caucus” in the house, joked that “people are going to call me a liberal” for his involvement. | Raul Labrador, a Republican member of the committee and a member of the “freedom caucus” in the house, joked that “people are going to call me a liberal” for his involvement. |
| But he added that his experience as a criminal defence attorney had showed him the negative effect that poor sentencing guidelines could have. | But he added that his experience as a criminal defence attorney had showed him the negative effect that poor sentencing guidelines could have. |
| “This bipartisan compromise will improve our justice system by providing tough punishment for the most serious offenders, while reducing sentences for those worthy of a second chance,” Labrador said in a statement. | “This bipartisan compromise will improve our justice system by providing tough punishment for the most serious offenders, while reducing sentences for those worthy of a second chance,” Labrador said in a statement. |