Lawmakers must back criminal-justice reform
Originally Posted on the Orlando Sentinel
By: Howard Simon and Dominic M. Calabro
As Florida residents continue to engage in this presidential election, Republicans, Democrats and independents are split on many pressing issues. But there’s one issue many voters are united on — criminal-justice reform.
Nearly every American has a family member, loved one or neighbor who has — or who will — come in contact with the criminal-justice system. This creates a huge financial burden on taxpayers across the country who shoulder an enormous $80 billion price tag to maintain a prison system in which recidivism rates remain stubbornly high. And the costs keep getting worse — nationwide, taxpayer spending on prisons has increased nearly 600 percent in the past 30 years.
Our bipartisan coalition, the U.S. Justice Action Network, came together to rally the growing support across the country for justice reform. We polled likely voters in Florida and five other key 2016 battleground states, and it’s clear there is a strong consensus on this issue. An overwhelming majority of likely voters in the Sunshine State, regardless of political affiliation, agree that the current criminal-justice system imprisons too many for too long, that mandatory-minimum sentences should be replaced and judges should have greater discretion in determining sentences.
At a time when our federal prison system houses more than 2.3 million Americans, it’s no surprise that 69 percent of voters in Florida agree that our prisons house too many individuals. Even less surprising is that 74 percent of our voters agree that we are spending too much tax money keeping those who have committed nonviolent offenses behind bars, and nearly 80 percent of voters say that the main goal of our justice system should be rehabilitating those in our prisons and jails to become productive, law-abiding citizens.
Floridians also support specific policy recommendations that make our criminal-justice system fairer. When it comes to sentencing reform, an overwhelming majority — 80 percent — favor giving judges the discretion to hand down sentences in a range versus a one-size-fits all approach like mandatory minimums.
In addition, a 2011 Florida TaxWatch poll found that 84 percent of Floridians support major changes that would send fewer nonviolent offenders to prison and instead seek more cost-effective alternatives, while 73 percent agree that fewer nonviolent offenders should be sent to prison in the first place. And 86 percent of Floridians agree that a candidate who is “tough on crime” can also support cost-effective programs such as community supervision and treatment that save taxpayer dollars while reducing future crime.
These are levels of support any politician in office or running for office would envy. The good news is that Washington is listening and already discussing how to fix our federal prison system using many of the same ideas from the states, including in the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act. The bill, which has bipartisan support and is currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate, would reform federal sentencing guidelines to give judges more options when trying individuals who have committed nonviolent crimes and give the formerly incarcerated better access to rehabilitation programs so those who leave prison don’t go back.
This bill now has the backing of influential law-enforcement groups including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Major County Sheriffs’ Association, who know that such reforms will help them do their job better and keep communities safe.
In Florida specifically, the 2016 Government Efficiency Task Force recommended smart justice reforms, such as the expansion of traditional work-release programs to reduce costs and improve offender outcomes, as well as the expansion of community-based alternative programs that focus on treatment and rehabilitation of mentally ill offenders while diverting them from jail.
If the Florida Legislature and our nation’s Congress adopt these criminal-justice reforms, it could save taxpayers a significant amount of money, as well as reintroduce countless individuals into society who have a great likelihood of a successful re-entry.
Regardless of which side of the political aisle you sit on, the numbers in support of criminal-justice reform can’t be ignored. Voters in Florida and across the country realize that we have to act smart, and we have to act now. In this divisive political climate, when Republicans and Democrats agree on both the problem and its solution, our leaders must take action now. It’s time for Congress and the Florida Legislature to move forward with these common-sense reforms that are both smart policies and smart politics.
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