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Criminal Justice Reform - Legislation

  • Infographic: How Prison Reform Works in the FIRST STEP Act (2018)

    The FIRST STEP Act creates a system within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) intended to provide those incarcerated with programs, education, and skills that will help them re-enter their communities after they have served their sentence. These re-entry programs are essential public health and safety strategies, since 95 percent of those incarcerated will eventually be released and return to their families. Thus, policymakers should look to expand—rather than restrict—incentives to participate in these programs.

    This infographic details how the FIRST STEP Act’s prison reform provisions work and how the multiple layers embedded in the system ensure a person receives...

  • H.R.5682 - FIRST STEP Act (2018)

    Passed House amended (05/22/2018)
    Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act or the FIRST STEP Act

    TITLE I--RECIDIVISM REDUCTION

    (Sec. 101) This bill amends the federal criminal code to direct the Department of Justice to establish a risk and needs assessment system to assess and classify the recidivism risk of prisoners; to guide housing, grouping, and program assignments; and to incentivize and reward participation in and completion of recidivism reduction programs and productive activities.

    (Sec. 102) The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must implement the risk and needs assessment system.

    The bill modifies the computation of good time...

  • First Step Act Implementation Fiscal Year 2020 90-Day Report (2020)

    The Senate Report (S. Rept. 116-127) accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-93) states, “The Committee directs the Department and BOP to fully and expeditiously implement the First Step Act (FSA or Act) (Public Law 115-391), and authorizes $75,000,000 in new, dedicated funding for this purpose. While the Committee was encouraged by the Department’s progress in both establishing the Independent Review Committee and providing Congress with the outline of the Risk and Needs Assessment tool by the statutory deadline, the Department must fulfill the law’s other requirements no later than the deadlines established by the Act, including the completion...