Dem lawmaker spars with own party over prison reform

[laserhaas]

Source: The HILL

Link to tweet

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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) on Friday hit back at his fellow Democrats for their opposition to the bipartisan prison reform bill he's co-sponsoring with Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.).

Jeffries said the letter sent out the day before by Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.), Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Cory Booker (N.J.), and Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas) and John Lewis (Ga.) was "riddled with factual inaccuracies and deliberately attempts to undermine the nationwide prison reform effort."

The Democrats on Thursday called the legislation a step backwards, saying dire staffing and funding shortages make implementation untenable. They also argued the bill will preclude some inmates from participating in the very recidivism reduction programming it aims to incentivize.

In a seven-page "Dear Colleague" letter of his own, Jeffries called that claim unequivocally false.

Read more: http://thehill.com/regulation/legislation/388394-dem-lawmaker-spars-with-own-party-over-prison-reform?amp&__twitter_impression=true

[bitterross]

1. Let's not be the all or nothing party

From what little I can gleen on the two The Hill articles the sticking point is mandatory minimums. Yes, these absolutely need to go. However, if we can get some money, pathetic amount that it is, for jobs and education to keep people off the streets once they are out then let's do it.

I know that congress has become an all-or-nothing place where if a topic has any legislation on it one session it is unlikely to come up again next session. How about we change that.

Let's get education and training money now to help and then let's work on sentencing reform. I have doubts that Sessions/Trump will get behind sentencing reforms anyway.

[Merlot]

2. I don't think dems should sign anything with manditory minimums

Dems shouldn't sign anything in exchange for some funding. Because what will happen is the funding dries up and the only thing left is the restrictions.

And you know repubs next step will be to stop funding. That's their tactic for killing legislation they don't like.

[bitterross]

5. I didn't see where mand. mins. would be increased or instituted.

From those articles I only got the sense that mandatory minimums would not be addressed at all. Not that more would be instituted or lengthened.

If I missed that please do let me know. I would not be in favor of it either and would agree with you.

[riversedge]

3. didn't trump basically say the same thing as he

did about DACA??? (bolded part below).


.....At a White House summit on prison reform on Friday, President Trump told lawmakers to work out their differences and pass legislation.

"As we speak, legislation is working through Congress to reform our federal prisons. My administration strongly supports these efforts and I urge the House and Senate to get together ... work out their differences, get a bill to my desk. I will sign it," he said.

A Democratic aide told The Hill on Friday the bill is expected to get a vote in the House next week. The bill, however, seems unlikely to get enough Democratic support to pass the Senate. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pushing his own sentencing reform legislation with Durbin.

[angrychair]

4. Mandatory minimums are evil

There is no deal without the removal of minimum sentencing that is disproportionately impacting people of color.

Funding comes and goes but mandatory minimum sentencing can be forever.

Don’t be so quick to compromise. Not saying never but always give it an honest look from every viewpoint and how it impacts people.
Remember:
Compromise is great as long as you are not the one being compromised.

[laserhaas]

6. IMO - That's the plan

Target minorities - without specificity

[MichMan]

7. Don't mandatory minimums ensure that all races are treated the same?

Otherwise it seems like some races could receive much lighter sentences than others or vice versa

[NYC Liberal]

8. Not when there's disparity in arrests and charges too.

The problems are systematic and they run from bottom to top.