Mass Incarceration Archives - Ben Swann's Truth In Media

A Koch Industries statement authored by attorney Mark Holden criticized U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for opposing the Koch brothers backed Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015.

“We are disappointed that some members, including Senator Cruz, who have supported the need for reform and been strong supporters of the Bill of Rights did not support this bill. We are grateful that Senator [Mike] Lee corrected the record to make clear that the bill will address grave injustices in our system, free up resources to combat violent crime and enhance protections against the release of violent criminals,” read Holden’s statement on behalf of Koch Industries.

Cruz expressed his concerns that the bill might lead to the release of violent gun criminals and undocumented immigrants.

“Under the [retroactive] terms of this bill, 7,082 federal prisoners would be eligible for release. Now none of us know what those 7,082 prisoners did. None of us know what the underlying conduct was that the prosecutors may have plea-bargained down under the existing sentencing laws and that they may not have entered that plea bargain if they had known that the sentencing laws would be lessened,” said Cruz in an October 22 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the legislation.

“But I for one at a time when police officers across this country are under assault right now, are being vilified right now, and when we’re seeing violent crime spiking in our cities across the country, I think it would be a serious mistake for the Senate to pass legislation providing for 7,082 convicted criminals potentially to be released early.”

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) disagreed with Cruz’s characterization that the bill’s retroactive component could lead to a free-for-all release of violent criminals.

“We put together this bill that requires a case-by-case analysis, a case-by-case scrutiny by the federal district judge in question and by the prosecutors involved in each case to consider the nature of each offense and the circumstances of each offense. Also they will consider the offender’s conduct while in prison and the possible risk posed to public safety by any early release that might occur under these provisions,” Sen. Lee said during the hearing, according to The Hill.

Koch Industries attorney Mark Holden wrote, “While not perfect, the bill contains important reforms that will enhance public safety, honor and protect the Bill of Rights, help remove barriers to opportunity for the least advantaged and make our criminal justice system more fair and just for all Americans. Many of these reforms have worked well in states like Texas, Georgia and Utah, and have reduced crime rates, reduced spending, reduced incarceration rates and enabled former offenders and their families to live productive lives.”

The bill ultimately passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 15-5, meaning its next step is a vote before the full Senate.

Watch Truth in Media’s Consider This video, embedded below, which puts the scope of the mass incarceration of non-violent offenders under the U.S. War on Drugs into perspective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zTOFxdUsQw

Over 130 police chiefs, prosecutors, attorneys general, and sheriffs have formed a new organization dedicated to calling for criminal justice reforms aimed at reducing U.S. prison populations. The group, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, is set to meet with President Barack Obama on Thursday.

The organization’s website states, “We believe the country can reduce incarceration while keeping down crime. We believe unnecessary incarceration does not work to reduce crime, wastes taxpayer dollars, damages families and divides communities. We aim to build a smarter, stronger, and fairer criminal justice system by replacing ineffective policies with new solutions that reduce both crime and incarceration.”

Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration reportedly plans to lobby for alternatives to arrest for individuals with mental health or drug addiction issues, the repeal of criminal laws that waste officers’ time without providing public safety benefits, and the unwinding of zero-tolerance policies like mandatory minimum sentences.

Ronal Serpas, co-chair of the organization and former Nashville police chief and New Orleans police superintendent, told NPR, “Our experience has been, and in some ways it’s counterintuitive, that you really can reduce crime and incarceration at the same time… Our officers are losing all day long on arrest reports and at lockups dropping off prisoners — it’s for low-level offenders who pose no threat to the community, are posing very little to no threat for recidivism, and overwhelmingly are just folks who have mental health or drug addiction problems that there’s no place else for them to go.”

Chicago Police Department superintendent Garry McCarthy, another of the group’s co-chairs, told The New York Times, “After all the years I’ve been doing this work, I ask myself, ‘What is a crime, and what does the community want? When we’re arresting people for low-level offenses — narcotics — I’m not sure we’re achieving what we’ve set out to do. The system of criminal justice is not supporting what the community wants. It’s very obvious what needs to be done, and we feel the obligation as police chiefs to do this.”

New York police chief William J. Bratton and Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck are among the law enforcement leaders who have joined the group.

The organization’s website pointed out, “Imprisoning people at today’s exorbitant levels has little crime control benefit, especially for nonviolent offenders. Research shows incarceration can increase future crime in some cases, as prison often acts as a ‘crime school.’ And laws that require prison for low-level offenses interfere with our work, taking time and vital resources away from us preventing serious and violent crimes.”

Watch Truth in Media’s Consider This video, embedded below, which puts the scope of the mass incarceration of non-violent offenders under the U.S. War on Drugs into perspective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zTOFxdUsQw

Ben Swann's Truth In Media

Tag Archives: Mass Incarceration

Koch Industries Attorney Criticizes Ted Cruz for Opposing Sentencing Reform Bill

Over 130 Top Law Enforcement Officials Form Coalition Against Mass Incarceration

Shattering the left, right paradigm