| Notes |
The efficient and effective implementation of the First Step Act is a priority for the Department of Justice and this Administration. Today, the Department is announcing three major achievements related to the implementation ofthis important criminal justice reform measure.
First, the Bureau of Prisons will release approximately 3,100 from its custody, as the First Step Act's provision increasing good conduct time takes effect. This action is in addition to the approximately 1,691 individuals whose sentences have been reduced due to the retroactive application ofthe Fair Sentencing Act.
Second, the Department will fully fund the $75 million authorized by the First Step Act inFY2019. IvisitedaBOPfacilityandsawfirst-handhoweffectiveprogramscanhavea positive impact on inmates. Therefore, I directed that existing resources be reallocated in FY2019 to expand vocational training and job readiness programs, to increase the availability of Medication Assisted Treatment, to support programs tailored to the needs of the female inmate population, and to increase education opportunities for inmates.
Third, we have developed a new Risk and Needs Assessment System called the Prisoner AssessmentToolTargetingEstimatedRiskandNeeds,orsimply"PATTERN." Incraftingthe System, the Department worked to make the benefits ofthe FSA as widely available as possible withoutcompromisingpredictivereliability. TheSystemisagoodinitialstepbasedonthe available information, and we will aim to improve it, with more time, consultation, data, and research.
The Department drew on the expertise of a wide range of stakeholders in developing PATTERN. IwouldliketothanktheDirectoroftheBureauofPrisons,theDirectorofthe Administrative Office ofthe United States Courts, the Director ofthe Office ofProbation and Pretrial Services, the Director ofthe National Institute ofJustice, the Director ofthe National Institute of Corrections, and the members of the Independent Review Committee (IRC), with whom I consulted in developing the System. I also want to thank the experts, practitioners, and policy makers, the public, and other stakeholders who engaged in this process. Finally, thank you to the dedicated staff at the Department of Justice, who have worked tirelessly to faithfully implement the First Step Act.
WhilethelaunchofPATTERNisabigstep,itisonlythefirststep. TheDepartmentis committed to making the benefits of the Act widely available while maintaining the System's predictive reliability. To that end, the Department is holding a 45-day public study period, in which the public will be able to review the System and consider ways in which it may be improved. ved. Following this study period, the Department in September will invite stakeholders, publicinterestorganizations,andthepublictocommentonthesystem. Theexperienceofthese communities will aid the Department as it works to improve the System.
Our communities are safer when we do a better job of rehabilitating offenders in our custodyandpreparingthemforasuccessfultransitiontolifeafterincarceration. The Department remains committed to this important aim and will continue to work to make America's communities safer. |