Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6412 is a short, but very important, piece of legislation. The bill will allow State sentencing commissions to obtain direct national criminal history record information maintained by the Department of Justice. These commissions, the State commissions, perform critical functions. They shape State policies that promote fairer, more consistent sentencing practices. They help protect public safety and address the impacts of crime on victims and the community. They develop tools to assess the seriousness and risk of offenders so that high-risk, dangerous offenders can be handled appropriately, and low-risk low-level offenders can be placed in appropriate evidence-based programs. They project the impacts of State legislation, regulations, and policies on correctional populations, personnel needs, and fiscal requirements. They evaluate the effectiveness of sentencing and corrections programs, particularly in terms of outcomes, offender recidivism, and cost-benefit analysis.”