ACLU Responds to House Passage of First STEP Act
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed the First STEP Act, formerly the Prison Reform and Redemption Act, tonight by a margin of 360-59.
Jesselyn McCurdy, deputy director of the Washington Legislative Office at the American Civil Liberties Union, had the following reaction:
“The criteria for criminal justice reform seems to no longer be that it addresses the very real problems in the federal system, but rather more about appearing as if something is being accomplished. Prison reform by itself is insufficient and does not address the serious issues our criminal justice system faces. No meaningful reform to our criminal justice system can be made without addressing how people enter prison and how they can rebuild their lives after. The FIRST STEP Act does neither.”
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