Letter from the National Governors Association to congressional leadership supporting passage of criminal-justice reform legislation.
Full Text
December 18, 2018
- The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
US Capitol Building, Room S-230
Washington, DC 20510 - The Honorable Charles Schumer
Minority Leader
United States Senate
U.S. Capitol Building, Room S-224
Washington, DC 20510 - The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
U.S. Capitol Building, Room 232
Washington, DC 20515 - The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives
U.S. Capitol Building, Room 204
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi:
On behalf of the National Governors Association (NGA) we write to you in support of action on S.3747, the First Step Act.
Governors have long called on Congress and the federal government to implement smarter, fairer and more cost-effective policies, just as governors have done in their respective states to improve public safety outcomes. The First Step Act emphasizes many of the key policy principles adopted by the National Governors Association. In fact, this once-in-a-generation effort to modernize our federal criminal justice system wisely builds on reform initiatives at the state level from the last decade.
Earlier this year, the NGA Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee sent you a letter requesting that Congress include key policy principles in any final bill. Additionally, last month, NGA put out a statement in support of action on the legislation, noting the inclusion of many NGA principles and policies in the bill. Policies like these will help create an opportunity for greater state-federal partnership in the critical arena of public safety.
We commend negotiators for also including the reauthorization of the Second Chance Act in the final bill. The Second Chance Act provides vital Department of Justice grant funding to states for drug treatment, vocational training and other reentry or recidivism-reduction programs.
We are pleased to see the Senate take up this legislation and encourage the House to do the same.
Sincerely,
Governor Steve Bullock
Chair
National Governors Association
Governor Phil Bryant
Chair
NGA Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee
Cc:
Senate Judiciary Chairman, the Honorable Chuck Grassley
Senate Judiciary Ranking Member, the Honorable Dianne Feinstein
House Judiciary Chairman, the Honorable Bob Goodlatte
House Judiciary Ranking Member, the Honorable Jerrold Nadler