Sheriffs Join Senators in Opposition to Criminal Sentencing Reduction Legislation

Thursday, May 12, 2016

 

Sheriff Danny Glick, (President, National Sheriffs’ Association, Laramie County, Wyoming), Sheriff Greg Champagne (St. Charles Parish, Louisiana), and Sheriff David Clarke (Milwaukee County, Wisconsin), joined Senators Sessions, Vitter and Rep. Lamar Smith in a press conference voicing its opposition to the Criminal Sentencing Reduction Legislation.

The Sheriffs released the following statement:

The United States Senate is poised to take up the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act - a bill that lets thousands of criminals out of Federal facilities.

This bill shifts responsibilities and costs from the Federal Bureau of Prisons onto states, Sheriffs and local communities. Crime rates are increasing quickly and now isn’t the time to fling open the federal prison doors.

  • Murder is up 6.2%
  • Rapes up 9.6%
  • Aggravated assaults up 2.3

This bill is the latest attempt by some Washington politicians to weaken our country’s legal and justice system – and it’s utterly destructive to the rule of law and public safety.

Legislation campaigners argue the need to humanize statistics, saying prison changes will save taxpayer dollars and that criminals can give back to society, especially those conveniently labeled non-violent offenders.

The problem here is that we are not being told the truth. The support for this Trojan Horse is based on three misconceptions.

Number One: It will only involve low-level non-violent offenders.

Number Two: It will reduce incarceration costs, and

Number Three: It will reduce crime.

Sheriffs are open to smart measures to increase efficiency, but most of these initiatives are pure social-engineering experiments.

Not only are these plans dangerous, they have no effect on crime or the lives of these suddenly sympathetic criminal characters.

Just look at California: The Los Angeles Times reported that despite the state reducing its prison population by 30,000 inmates, its total prison costs have continued to increase. Not only that, violent crime increased 12.9 percent and property crime increased by 9.2 percent in California’s largest cities. 

This legislation removes victims of crime—past, present and future – from the equation. For the most part, those who will suffer are minorities and lower-income citizens who must bear the fallout’s brunt.

This get out-of-jail-free legislation will shift the cost back to the states and counties when criminals re-offend. 

Congress needs to think twice about linking arms with criminal coddlers who are looking for uninformed do-gooders to help them out in this social engineering experiment.

America’s sheriffs are asking the U.S. Senate to vote NO on THE SENTENCING REFORM AND CORRECTIONS ACT