Maggie Hassan on Crime

15 more state troopers on state roads

Provide capital funds to build a new women's prison

For too long, our corrections system has woefully neglected women. Like our men's prison, our women's prison must offer facilities that can provide the programs that help individuals safely move back into society when they have served their sentences.

To ensure justice and to improve our public safety, this capital budget includes the funds necessary to build a new women's prison. It is time; we cannot delay this any longer.

Parole violators go to jail, for all released convicts

• The state prison population has increased 31% since 2000.
• Revocations from parole have increased 50% since 2000, and probation and parole revocations now account for 57% of all admissions to state prison.
• A large number of people are held in prison beyond their minimum sentence date. Furthermore, 16% of people released from NH prisons completed their maximum sentence without receiving parole supervision.
• Intent:
• Make probation and parole supervision tough and smart by creating tools for probation and parole officers to use in reducing recidivism such as short, swift, and certain jail sanctions for supervising probationers and intermediate sanction programs for parolees in lieu of revocation to prison.
• Ensure everyone leaving prison receives at least 9 months of post-release supervision.

First step: reduce recidivism & mass incarceration.

Congressional Summary:

• TITLE I--RECIDIVISM REDUCTION: establish a risk and needs assessment system to evaluate the recidivism risk of prisoners; to guide housing assignments; and to reward participation in recidivism reduction programs.
• TITLE II--BUREAU OF PRISONS SECURE FIREARMS STORAGE: allow federal correctional officers to securely store and carry concealed firearms on BOP premises outside the security perimeter of a prison.
• TITLE III--RESTRAINTS ON PREGNANT PRISONERS PROHIBITED: limits the use of restraints on federal prisoners who are pregnant or in postpartum recovery.
• TITLE IV--SENTENCING REFORM: reduces the enhanced mandatory minimum prison terms for certain repeat drug offenses.

Opposing press release from Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1):: The reform sentencing laws in this bill may compromise the safety of our communities. Criminals convicted of violent crimes would have the opportunity to achieve 'low risk' status and become eligible for early release. California already has similar laws in place--Propositions 47 and 57--which have hamstrung law enforcement and caused a significant uptick in crime.

Supporting press release from Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10):: S. 756 establishes a new system to reduce the risk that [federal prisoners] will commit crimes once they are released. Critically, S. 756 would not only implement these reforms to our prison system, but it also takes a crucial first step toward addressing grave concerns about our sentencing laws, which have for years fed a national crisis of mass incarceration. The bill is a 'first step' that demonstrates that we can work together to make the system fairer in ways that will also reduce crime and victimization.

Legislative outcome: Concurrence Passed Senate, 87-12-1, on Dec. 18, 2018; Concurrence Passed House 358-36-28, Dec. 20, 2018; President Trump signed, Dec. 21, 2018