House Approves a Blue-Ribbon Commission on Criminal Justice
Today the House of Representatives approved legislation to create a national commission to offer reform recommendations on incarceration rates, sentencing policy, crime prevention, substance abuse, reentry, and more. The bill now depends the Senate where it has been introduced by Jim Webb of Virginia. (H/t: the Sentencing Project)
However, as Doug Berman points out, the major problem with criminal justice policy “is not a lack of good ideas, but a lack of leaders willing to help ensure good ideas become law.” This is certainly true not only on the federal level, but also on the state level (California has had one blue-ribbon commission after another making the exact same recommendations for 20 years, and little has changed). Maybe we need an expert commission to study why no one listens to expert commissions.
Optimistic interpretation: Congress is empaneling experts so they can say have an authority to point to when they later vote for a risky bill.
Maybe?
eigenman
July 27, 2010 at 9:09 pm
This commission will do nothing to help those already wrongfully convicted. The criminal justice system in America is so badly broken I doubt it can be repaird. There is too much money being made off the prison system to keep many from wanting to make a change. The Attorney General, Eric Holder has made bold statements regarding no longer allowing Prosecutorial misconduct and the only one out of prison because of it is Alaska SENATOR Ted Stevens. For which Eric Holder required an ethic’s waiver. The only people in America getting help with legal issues are those that the AG seems to deem fit. I’m still trying to figure out how former Alaska GOVERNOR Sarah Palin got into Federal Court over an E Mail hacking incident in record time. My husband has had a motion before Judge Phillips for 3 years, never heard. He waits in a prison cell. I guess I need to move to Alaska and run for public office to get help from the attorney general on a definate case of prosecutorial misconduct in the hills of Tennessee ??
Pamela L. Mittelsteadt
July 27, 2010 at 9:44 pm
The changes must be analyzed in order to the society´s benefit. This is maybe why sometimes can take more time than usual. However, it is true that most proyect do not get approved because of the lack leaders who are willing to do it.
Charles
July 28, 2010 at 12:42 pm